Eye-Opening Stats & Facts about Sleep

Sleep is a necessity that contributes to good overall health. It is a process that takes 4-5 cycles, each lasting about 90-120 minutes. Therefore, the recommended sleep hours for adults is 6-8 hours.

This is especially important for students who need their brains to be in the best condition for performing daily tasks. However, stats show that 70% of college students don’t get enough sleep.

The same stats also show that sleep-deprived college students have a higher probability of getting lower grades. The daytime sleepiness caused by the lack of sleep negatively affects their learning capabilities and mood.

What’s more, the students are aware of this because eight out of 10 believe that a lack of sleep affects their academic performance.

One of the possible solutions to tackle this issue is taking a nap. Naps can help to increase alertness during daytime activities. They can also help to combat daytime sleepiness, which can lead to serious problems such as sleep apnea, dementia, and narcolepsy.

The ideal time for a nap should be between 1-3 pm and last between 10-90 minutes. A nap of about 10-20 minutes should boost alertness, 60 minutes should boost cognitive memory processing, while 90-minute naps boost creativity, procedural, and emotional memory.

It is important for people to learn proper ways on how to enhance their sleeping habits to keep a healthy lifestyle. Aerobic exercises about 3-4 times a week at about 3-4 hours before bedtime can improve sleep quality.

We should also avoid eating at least 45 minutes before going to bed. If this is not possible to avoid, then we should take a light snack with a combination of carbohydrates and calcium or protein and tryptophan.

Sleeping posture is yet another important overlooked factor that affects sleep. Sleeping stomach down doesn’t allow the neutral spine function and doesn’t give the joints or muscles relief.

This amazing infographic by disturbmenot contains 80 concise and vital stats and facts about sleep. It sheds light on why sleep should not be taken for granted and why it should be an integral factor in living a healthy life. Go ahead and check it out!