If you make only one New Year’s resolution this year, make it this one, because it can affect everything else. It’s something that comes instinctively to babies. Our dogs and cats are experts. The rest of us aren’t so good at it. The biggest excuse is that we simply don’t have enough time. We need to squeeze more hours out of our day. What’s the harm in skimping on sleep? A little energy drink, a caffeine jolt, and sheer determination will see us through, right? Wrong. On so many levels.
You really need a good night’s sleep to be at your best physically and mentally. Making this one adjustment, this one resolution to improve your sleep habits, can help you achieve your other goals. And making sure your children get an adequate amount of sleep will help their bodies and brains develop. They'll probably do better in school and have fewer behavioral problems, too.
Individual sleep needs vary throughout our lifetime. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), newborns need about 16 to 18 hours a day, and preschoolers need between 11 and 12 hours. Older children and teens should get at least 10 hours, and adults generally need about seven to nine hours. Few of us are getting the amount of sleep we need.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), our brains are very active during sleep, performing vital tasks that help our nervous systems work correctly. Sleep helps our brains get ready for a new day. It improves our decision-making skills and emotional and social functioning. In children, growth hormones are released during sleep.
