Sleep plays a huge role in how your body and brain function every day. While you sleep, your body is busy repairing muscles, boosting your immune system, and keeping your heart and metabolism in check. Your brain is forming new pathways that support memory, concentration, and emotional balance.
Yet most of us don’t get the sleep we need for all that downtime activity:
- Adults need 7–9 hours per night, but one-third sleep less than 6 hours per night.
- Teenagers need 8–10 hours per night, but fewer than 2 out of 10 teens get enough sleep.
- Kids 6–13 years old need 9–11 hours per night, but only two-thirds meet this recommendation.
Strategies for Better Sleep
Improve your sleep hygiene. Stick to a sleep schedule, create a comfortable sleep environment, and practice a relaxing bedtime routine.
Turn screens off the hour before bed. Blue light from digital devices disrupts the body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us fall asleep.
Try a sleep app. Whether you want to track sleeping patterns, listen to white noise, or follow guided meditations, sleep apps can help. Try Sleep Cycle, Oura, or Headspace, among many others.
See a sleep specialist. A sleep specialist (search for one on regence.com) can treat insomnia, restless leg syndrome, or sleep apnea; order a sleep study if needed; and prescribe medication to improve sleep quality.
See a behavioral therapist. A behavioral therapist (search for one on regence.com) can provide sleep therapy to help you get better rest.