Did you know that a poor sleep schedule can have serious consequences? It is recommended that the average adult get 7-8 hours of sleep each night for peak physical and mental health. So what does it mean if you’re sleeping less than that a night? And how can you improve your sleep routine?
Sleeping for less than 6 hours a night is correlated with impaired coordination, lower quality of life, and increased depression and anxiety. These consequences of poor sleep can then lead to an increase in car accidents, health problems, and a host of other problems. In fact, people who sleep less than 6 hours a night have a 13% higher mortality risk overall than those who sleep at least 7 hours a night.
Aside from the physical consequences, lack of sleep can have effects on the economy! Poor sleep is responsible for the loss of 1.2 million working days per year. This can be caused by workers calling out to catch up on sleep, or to tend to injuries that can occur from poor sleep such as falls or car accidents. When people aren’t working, the economy suffers, and it is estimated that lack of sleep can be responsible for a 2% decrease in American GDP.
Clearly sleep is important, so how can you improve your sleep routine? One of the most popular methods of getting better sleep at night is by reducing screen time before bed. Screens produce blue light which can inhibit melatonin production and make it more difficult to fall asleep. Consider turning off screens before bed or investing in bluelight glasses which can filter bluelight. Another tip is reducing alcohol consumption. It has been proven that alcohol consumption can reduce sleep quality by almost 40%.
Lifestyle changes can easily fix problems with sleep, but one of the most helpful tips is to change your mattress. 93% of people say that a comfortable mattress is what contributes to their best quality of sleep. Try looking into new mattress styles if you’re experiencing very poor sleep, it may be the solution you’re looking for. Learn more about sleep and success in the infographic below