15.04.2010
“Good sleep plays a very important role in health of everyone”, claims the NSF (National Sleep Foundation). Lots of people cannot sleep adequately and therefore feel uncomfortable.
From 1999 to 2004 the NFS had interviewed Americans on sleep. As a result: over 40 million Americans experience sleeping problems, over 70 different types of sleep disorders registered, only 40 percent of adult haven’t complained on any, other 60 notice sleeping problems at least once a week. What’s worse, almost all of these problems remain untreated. Also over 40 percent of adults feel drowsiness strong enough to influence their usual activities more than once a month, 20 percent have this problem once a week or more. As for children, 69 percent have at least one sleep problem once/twice or more often a week
Different people have different needs in sleep. It is considered that healthy adults can easily take the sixteen hour vigil and eight hour sleep a day. However, some people have no problem (drowsiness etc.) with shorter 6 hour sleep. Vice versa, other people are almost useless unless they take a good ten hour nap. Contrary to common misconception, there is no reduction in need-for-sleep with age, but you get the possibility to sleep for 8 hours decreased.
Sleep researchers recommend these techniques to solve simple to medium sleep problems:
• Stick to the permanent sleep schedule
• Do not consume anything caffeine-containing before sleep and reduce the daily dose to minimum
• Quit smoking before sleep
• Do not drink alcohol and overeat before sleep
• Do sports regularly
• Create a comfortable environment for sleep (no noise, no lights, suitable temperature)
• Try to wake up with no help of alarm clock
• For you to know if you sleep enough or not – try falling asleep earlier each day for a period.