How much sleep do we need?

The average person will sleep for approximately 229,961 hours in their lifetime, that’s almost 1/3 of our lives – but how much sleep do we actually need? At Sophie Allport we love nothing more than curling up in bed and getting cosy, we even have our very own collection of bedding, throws and cushions.

The amount of recommended sleep for a person aged 18 to 64 is between seven to nine hours. That really isn’t that much considering that there are 24 hours in a day. But with many people having busy schedules, you might find you are getting a lot less sleep than you need, which can affect your health in many ways.

We all need a different amount of sleep, and this is based on a wide range of things including your day to day activities, your sleep routine, overall health and how much sleep your body needs to function properly each day.

If you feel like you are lacking in sleep or not getting enough sleep, then you probably aren’t. You might feel tired, be less productive, have daytime fatigue or be easily be irritated and moody. There are plenty of ways you can prevent sleep deprivation and get back to having a healthy sleep schedule. We've got a few tips below.

1. Stick to a bedtime routine and sleep pattern – aim to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. This will help get your body clock get into an automatic routine when it comes to sleeping and waking at normal times. Try to take note of how many hours of sleep you are getting each night. If you take regular naps during the day, then limit these and try to stay awake until it comes to bedtime. 
   
2. Avoid using electronic devices before bed – using blue light and electronics before bed can delay your body’s internal clock as is suppresses the release of melatonin, which is a sleep-inducing hormone. Make sure you switch off the wifi or mobile data to your phone before you head to bed too as you don’t want your phone pinging all through the night or better still… don’t have your phone in your bedroom.
   
3. Avoid caffeine a few hours before bed – caffeine is a stimulant so drinking coffee, tea or fizzy drinks which include caffeine before bedtime might affect the overall quality of your snooze and how long it takes for you to fall asleep. Opt for a decaf tea or herbal tea if you need a nightcap before bed. Camomile tea is renowned for helping us sleep better – it worked for Peter Rabbit!
4. Enjoy an hour relaxing before bed – switching your mind off before heading to bed can encourage a night of better sleep. Meditation is a great relaxation technique and can help improve sleepiness and overall calmness. If meditating is not for you, then try reading a book or taking a warm bath.
   
5. Exercise throughout the day – physical activity throughout the day will help improve the quality of your sleep and the duration. When exercising, you are expending energy which will increase your tiredness at the end of the day as your body needs to rest.  
6. Create a cosy sleeping environment - an enticing bedroom will make going to bed more inviting. Nothing beats jumping into bed with a new fresh set of clean bedding topped with cosy cushions and pillows.  

For more tips on sleeping better, read our 10 Ways To Help You Sleep Better blog post. We'd love to hear your top tips for a good nights sleep, share them with us in the comments below.