Research shows that the younger you are, the more sleep you need, which means that you may not necessarily need more sleep just because you are exhausted or tired. The necessary amount of sleep is the same for men and women.
If you are between 18 and 65 years old, you need about 7-9 hours of sleep, while children need at least 12 hours of sleep. The numbers refer to the actual time spent sleeping, and not how long you spend lying in bed. But do we get the same quality of sleep by waking up, snoozing and going back to sleep for our last hour of sleep, or might we as well get up when the alarm goes off the first time?
Professor in clinical neurophysiology, Poul Jennum – from the Faculty of Health and Sciences and Head of the Danish Centre for Sleep Medication in Glostrup Hospital, Denmark – suggests that you should avoid using the snooze option, as these interruptions mean that the little amount of sleep you get will be of poor quality. Furthermore, he suggests that you instead should set the alarm to an hour later, or to how long you plan to postpone your sleep.
Initially, it can seem very unimaginable for many to have to get up suddenly. But the body is actually built in a way that causes your circadian rhythm to shift accordingly to light. Back in the days, people would sleep when the sun went down, and would wake up when the sun rose, and Professor Jennum believes that this is healthier for the body. This means that if you do not find it comfortable, having to get up immediately, you should instead try to get up slowly as the light becomes stronger and stronger. If you think this is impossible, do not despair! Such things as ‘Wake-Up lamps’ actually exist.
A ‘Wake-Up lamp’ wakes you up, using a light which slowly brightens and becomes more powerful until you wake up.
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