Sleep importance

Posted by RendonL @freddyfuzfan, Nov 2, 2022

How important is sleep? How much should someone be getting it? How many sleepless nights can a person handle in a lifetime? Also how important is sleep to teenagers?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Sleep Health Support Group.

Welcome @freddyfuzfan, Thanks for starting this discussion...one of my favorite topics. Sleep helps the body recover and I think it's very important. Here's some information that hopefully will give you some answers while we wait for other members to join the discussion.

"Sleep plays a crucial role in your health, energy level and ability to function at your best. Most adults require seven to eight hours of sleep each night to feel well-rested and energized. From setting a sleep schedule to paying attention to what you eat and drink, try these six tips for a good night's rest."
-- Wake up to the importance of sleep - Mayo Clinic News Network:
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/wake-up-to-the-importance-of-sleep/
-- Sleep tips: 6 steps to better sleep:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379
-- Consumer Health: Is your teen getting enough sleep?:
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/consumer-health-is-your-teen-getting-enough-sleep/

Do you mind sharing what made you think of the importance of sleep?

REPLY
@johnbishop

Welcome @freddyfuzfan, Thanks for starting this discussion...one of my favorite topics. Sleep helps the body recover and I think it's very important. Here's some information that hopefully will give you some answers while we wait for other members to join the discussion.

"Sleep plays a crucial role in your health, energy level and ability to function at your best. Most adults require seven to eight hours of sleep each night to feel well-rested and energized. From setting a sleep schedule to paying attention to what you eat and drink, try these six tips for a good night's rest."
-- Wake up to the importance of sleep - Mayo Clinic News Network:
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/wake-up-to-the-importance-of-sleep/
-- Sleep tips: 6 steps to better sleep:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379
-- Consumer Health: Is your teen getting enough sleep?:
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/consumer-health-is-your-teen-getting-enough-sleep/

Do you mind sharing what made you think of the importance of sleep?

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What made me think of it was how important was sleep was I was wondering late at night and thought to myself does not sleeping well the reason I am short. My father is 6ft 5in and my mother is 5ft 8in and I am 15 years old and I am 5ft 1in so I found this site and I just wanted to know if it could limit my growth. Also thank you for responding with these links they helped a lot.

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@freddyfuzfan

What made me think of it was how important was sleep was I was wondering late at night and thought to myself does not sleeping well the reason I am short. My father is 6ft 5in and my mother is 5ft 8in and I am 15 years old and I am 5ft 1in so I found this site and I just wanted to know if it could limit my growth. Also thank you for responding with these links they helped a lot.

Jump to this post

Hi again, You might find the following discussion helpful also:

-- Am i still growing?:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/am-i-still-growing/

I think the growth can happen even into your college years.

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I've been battling insomnia since March 2022, a few weeks after I had Covid. I tried Trazodone for a while, then CBT-I doing sleep restriction therapy which was very difficult and was not successful for me. It helped me with falling asleep initially, but didn't help with waking up after 3-4 hrs of sleep and then unable to fall back asleep. I am back to taking Trazodone, 50-100mg a night and it helps some nights. I am also listening to a YouTube audio by a hypnotist to help you relax and sleep, which also helps. It's Paul McKenna-Sleep.

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My two male sibblings, my father, and I all sleep what could be described as 'poorly'. We sleep reasonably well, but not long. I think our average is around 5 hrs per night. We are all in good health (I have apnea and consequent AFib, but both are being managed). We are all in our late sixties, and our dad, who gets up at least twice each night to pee, and also has apnea, is 93. Our average IQ, not that it means much to argue with, is about 125. Or was when we could divide the score by our age decades ago. 🙂

But, we all have different genetics, habits, propensities, and desires. One size of 'anything' doesn't fit well for all of us. My wife sleeps almost 11 hours a day with naps included. I get between 5.5 and six hours on decent nights; no napping. If you are bothered by an apparent lack of sleep, try melatonin, less than 5mg if possible, but rather infrequently so that it doesn't lose its potency for you...maybe two nights a week. I have recently been prescribed Zopiclone because I was sleeping very poorly due to complications after a recent atrial radio-frequency ablation to isolate my pulmonary veins (it's a long story). My GP said take one pill for two nights, then stretch them out. I got five tablets. My pharmacist advised me to halve them...due to my apnea. I tried a half one night, the first night, and did really well. Then, for the past six weeks, I have only used one quarter tablet, using a pill splitter, and that works almost as well. Following my own advice, I only use it twice a week, and only when my backside is really dragging. I'm over the hump and just went a week sleeping well without anything, not even melatonin. My point is that you should use some tools when you really must, and fight like aitch to get them off your waist...if you follow. Discipline yourself to endure some bad nights, and then resort to one or the other...or both.

REPLY
@gloaming

My two male sibblings, my father, and I all sleep what could be described as 'poorly'. We sleep reasonably well, but not long. I think our average is around 5 hrs per night. We are all in good health (I have apnea and consequent AFib, but both are being managed). We are all in our late sixties, and our dad, who gets up at least twice each night to pee, and also has apnea, is 93. Our average IQ, not that it means much to argue with, is about 125. Or was when we could divide the score by our age decades ago. 🙂

But, we all have different genetics, habits, propensities, and desires. One size of 'anything' doesn't fit well for all of us. My wife sleeps almost 11 hours a day with naps included. I get between 5.5 and six hours on decent nights; no napping. If you are bothered by an apparent lack of sleep, try melatonin, less than 5mg if possible, but rather infrequently so that it doesn't lose its potency for you...maybe two nights a week. I have recently been prescribed Zopiclone because I was sleeping very poorly due to complications after a recent atrial radio-frequency ablation to isolate my pulmonary veins (it's a long story). My GP said take one pill for two nights, then stretch them out. I got five tablets. My pharmacist advised me to halve them...due to my apnea. I tried a half one night, the first night, and did really well. Then, for the past six weeks, I have only used one quarter tablet, using a pill splitter, and that works almost as well. Following my own advice, I only use it twice a week, and only when my backside is really dragging. I'm over the hump and just went a week sleeping well without anything, not even melatonin. My point is that you should use some tools when you really must, and fight like aitch to get them off your waist...if you follow. Discipline yourself to endure some bad nights, and then resort to one or the other...or both.

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Thank you so much for sharing this. This will be very helpful to me and my research so thank you and have a good day.

REPLY
@gloaming

My two male sibblings, my father, and I all sleep what could be described as 'poorly'. We sleep reasonably well, but not long. I think our average is around 5 hrs per night. We are all in good health (I have apnea and consequent AFib, but both are being managed). We are all in our late sixties, and our dad, who gets up at least twice each night to pee, and also has apnea, is 93. Our average IQ, not that it means much to argue with, is about 125. Or was when we could divide the score by our age decades ago. 🙂

But, we all have different genetics, habits, propensities, and desires. One size of 'anything' doesn't fit well for all of us. My wife sleeps almost 11 hours a day with naps included. I get between 5.5 and six hours on decent nights; no napping. If you are bothered by an apparent lack of sleep, try melatonin, less than 5mg if possible, but rather infrequently so that it doesn't lose its potency for you...maybe two nights a week. I have recently been prescribed Zopiclone because I was sleeping very poorly due to complications after a recent atrial radio-frequency ablation to isolate my pulmonary veins (it's a long story). My GP said take one pill for two nights, then stretch them out. I got five tablets. My pharmacist advised me to halve them...due to my apnea. I tried a half one night, the first night, and did really well. Then, for the past six weeks, I have only used one quarter tablet, using a pill splitter, and that works almost as well. Following my own advice, I only use it twice a week, and only when my backside is really dragging. I'm over the hump and just went a week sleeping well without anything, not even melatonin. My point is that you should use some tools when you really must, and fight like aitch to get them off your waist...if you follow. Discipline yourself to endure some bad nights, and then resort to one or the other...or both.

Jump to this post

Found this online: "Zopiclone became available in the 1980s and is approved for use in many parts of the world. However, it is not available in the US where it is a schedule IV controlled substance. The FDA)has approved eszopiclone (Lunesta). Eszopiclone is a stereoisomer of zopiclone, which means it is made up of the same parts connected in the same sequences, but its 3D structure is different."

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