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How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?
-By Catey Cahill
Sleep does the body good. Without sleep, people would lose their minds. To lead a normal life, a body and mind need to be refreshed every night with a proper amount of sleep, to function efficiently the following day.
Sleep is very important to be able to function normally on an everyday basis. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) scientists, led by directors Story C. Landis, Ph.D and Audrey S. Penn, M.D. have done research that proves that without enough sleep your mind is tired and unable to concentrate and think well the following day. Everyday the neurons in a brain are drained of all their energy from normal daily routines and activities, but they replenish with a good night�s sleep.
�I think a few major factors that cause sleep loss are mothers with infants and young children, two hundred channels twenty four hours a day, and the diligent student that stays up all night studying. Or, there is the stress element; you can�t sleep because of anxiety because maybe you have to wake up early to pay that speeding ticket,� said Copper Mountain College biology teacher, Jeanne Cosby.
Out of 50 randomly selected CMC students, half said they only get about six hours of sleep per night. The other half varied from three hours per night to eight hours per night. So, what is enough sleep? NINDS scientists say that seven to eight hours of sleep per night can be enough sleep for most adults.
�If I only get five hours of sleep, I still feel fine because I exercise on a regular basis,� said full-time CMC student, worker, and mother, Nieleh Willcots.
Here are some tips on how to get a good night sleep, brought to you by NINDS and the National Sleep Foundation.
Set the same schedule for when to go to bed and when to wake up for everyday.
Exercise 20 to 30 minutes about five to six hours before going to bed.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol before bed.
Relax before bed.
Sleep until sunlight.
Don�t lie in bed awake. Read or watch television to help tire you out.
Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom.
If your problems continue, then you need to see a doctor.
For more information on sleeping problems go to the website www.ninds.nih.gov/index.htm.
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