Sleep is one of the basic functions that we all do as human beings. The question must be raised, are you getting enough of it?

A lot of people don't, and there is a lot of misinformation out there about how much sleep you need and what impacts it has on your health. Doctors say that now is the time to focus on improving both the quality and quantity of your sleep.

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

The amount of sleep that you require as an individual may different from the amount that someone you love needs. Different people have different needs, and these needs often change over the span of a human life as well. A good benchmark amount of sleep per night is often quoted as being eight hours per night, but there are some who require more and others that require less.

Teenagers are said to need the most sleep as they are going through a lot of physical and mental changes at that age, and getting enough sleep is the only way their body can catch up. Most teenagers would do a lot better getting between nine and ten hours of sleep per night. They often don't do this, and that may contribute to their moodiness. Ask your doctor about what amount of sleep is proper for you, and aim to hit that goal.

What Happens If You Don't Get Enough Sleep?

It is not as if you will literally die if you don't get a full night's sleep from time to time, but consistent sleep deprivation is linked to a number of negative side-effects in the mind. The brain is said to be our most important resource as it controls everything that we do, but we often don't treat it with the proper care to keep it functioning well and at full capacity.

Studies have shown increased risks of heart disease, cancer, and strokes linked to those who are not getting enough sleep at night. That ought to be a motivator to get you moving in the right direction towards getting the levels of sleep that you require.

Quality And Quantity

Yes, it is important to count the number of hours of sleep that you get, but also pay attention to the quality of that sleep. Your body needs to go through various stages of sleep to fully recover from the day. This means that you must experience deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in order to get all of the benefits that are associated with it.

Quality sleep is obtained when you find a quiet and dark area to do your resting. These days, technology is often a roadblock to good sleep in our lives as well. It is mission critical that you turn off the screens and avoid the blue light that they put off before you go to bed. Most sleep doctors suggest getting away from electronics for at least thirty minutes before you go to sleep. You may want to substitute some reading time in place of your usual electronics diet.

Those who start to get good quality sleep can begin to repay their "sleep debt" that they may have acquired as a result of poor sleep habits from the past. If that sounds like you, then there is no better time than right now to make those changes.