As I get older, I love my bed more. It’s not uncommon to find me slumped against the pillows at 8.30pm, ready to decompress and go to bed for the night. My late mother’s words ring in my head: “One day you will go to bed helpless!” He is right. I.
So when I recently read that actress Dakota Johnson likes to sleep up to 14 hours a night, I was intrigued. She says sleep is her number one priority and gives her more clarity in life. He also participates in transcendental meditation and enjoys bathing at any time of the day; This woman knows a thing or two about keeping it cool.
And I’m always amazed by my own teenagers’ ability to lie in bed for extremely long periods of time. It amazes me that they can remain in a coma while the dogs are barking, the mailmen are ringing the doorbell, my husband is saying he’s lost his keys, and a fire truck is driving by their window and sirens are blaring.
Like many of us, I have a complicated relationship with sleep. While I like to receive into In bed, I can’t say I always get a full night’s sleep, so when I decided to try staying horizontal for longer than my usual closed-eye time, I immediately felt the pressure of the challenge, which—guess what—kept me up. I woke up. Usually, I can get up to eight to nine hours at a stretch, but getting more sleep seemed nearly impossible.
Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford, says: “The National Sleep Foundation states that a healthy sleep range is between six and 10.5 hours per night; seven to eight hours average However One size does not fit all. We humans are fickle creatures and so it is up to the individual to decide how much they need to function well.
“Needing an alarm clock to wake you up, sleeping too much on off days, craving caffeinated beverages, feeling tired and exhausted throughout the day, or feeling tired can be a few indicators that something is wrong. If you’re doing impulsive things, you probably need more rest. But if you’re doing well with a below-average amount, that’s absolutely fine.
Foster also points out that there is a big difference between sleepiness and fatigue. “Insomnia is treated by getting enough sleep,” he says. “Fatigue is when a person feels extreme tiredness, lack of motivation, or even depression. This may indicate an underlying health problem; the classic these days is long Covid. “If you suddenly notice that you are sleeping much more, it would be useful to have a health check.”
In his book Why We SleepNeuroscientist Matthew Walker reports that teenagers experience a significant shift in their circadian rhythms, meaning that the rise in melatonin (the hormone that helps us sleep) shifts hours later.
“As a result, a 16-year-old will generally have no interest in going to sleep at 9 p.m.,” he explains. “Instead, the peak of alertness is often still ongoing at that time. “When parents begin to tire, their circadian rhythms decline, and melatonin release signals sleep (perhaps around 10 p.m. or 11 p.m.), their teenagers may still be wide awake.”
So, teenagers don’t have the ability to sleep forever, they’re more likely to be night owls, eventually throwing in the towel when I get into bed too soon. Ten News.
It’s no wonder they have the ability to doze off until lunch. However, Foster adds that some adults can also sleep for very long periods of time. It’s the way they’re wired.
“Sleep is triggered by exposure to the adenosine molecule in the brain. If a person has receptors sensitive to adenosine, they are likely to sleep longer.
“Unfortunately, it’s not really possible to train yourself to sleep more than your normal amount of sleep because there are two main factors that influence this: your own biological clock and your intuitive approach to sleep; The greater the need for sleep.”
Age also has some relevance. Again, while everyone has their own routine, older adults are more likely to experience fragmented sleep quality and quantity. Medications and illnesses play a role, but for most of us, the culprit is a weakened bladder. I can relate it like this. The best thing I ever did was to have an en-suite bathroom installed in my house.
Walker says that sleep change with older age is influenced by circadian timing: “In stark contrast to teenagers, older people often experience a decline in sleep timing, leading to earlier and earlier bedtimes. This is because melatonin is released and peaks earlier as we get older, which It also instructs you to start sleeping earlier.
That’s okay if you’re like me and don’t want to go to the movies or a concert and find yourself falling asleep before you’re halfway through. God forbid I drink more than one glass of wine with my dinner. I doze off on the couch or, worse, in the bathroom. My husband has been known to often bang loudly on the bathroom door and shout: “Are you awake in there?”
Foster confirms that “sleep anxiety” is a well-known condition, and millions of people worry about whether they are getting enough sleep. His sound advice is to stop worrying.
It’s completely normal to wake up at night, but the important thing is to help you fall asleep again, so a relaxing environment and tools like mindfulness are helpful.
Foster adds: “Light exposure and exercise, especially in the morning, are beneficial for better sleep, and there is some interesting data showing that dog owners have better quality sleep. It has to do with the companionship dogs give us and being outside with them every day.”
So, if I really want to sleep like Dakota Johnson, or even like a teenager, maybe I should walk my dogs more, take lots of baths (but never naps), meditate, not drink anything after 6pm so I don’t fall asleep. pee at 2 a.m., avoid being anxious or sick, and maybe play games Call of Duty I play on Xbox late at night so I snore until noon. It all feels pretty tiring.