As most of us know, it’s generally agreed upon that the recommended amount of sleep is approximately 8 hours a night. In theory then we should spend around a third of our life asleep. One third! So, if you lived to 90 years old you should’ve slept for 30 years throughout your life! Why then do so many of us not take the need to sleep seriously? I’m hopeful that this blog will demonstrate the importance of good sleep, some of the lesser-known benefits and why prioritising your rest will make your awake hours even better.

Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) is a restorative sleep phase where the body repairs and regenerates tissues, muscles, builds bone and helps to strengthen the immune system. It’s during this phase of sleep that the brain effectively reduces the stress hormone cortisol, an important factor when considering improving our mental health. Stressed people often struggle to sleep, which can easily lead to a vicious cycle of high stress creating poor sleep then the poor sleep creating more stress etc. This phase of sleep should account for about 17-20% of total sleep time.

Restless Eye Movement (REM) sleep is when dreaming occurs, but also when memory consolidation takes place. This is a part of sleep that perhaps people are less aware of; that sleep helps process memory and therefore enhances our ability to retain information and learn. People reading this may remember a time when listening to information such as languages whilst sleeping was recommended, this was why. REM sleep should account for around 22-26% of your total sleep time.

If you’re a “it’s fine I can function on 5 hours sleep” person, or a “I’ll catch up on my sleep at the weekend” person then maybe consider this; prioritising your sleep will almost certainly help you optimise your health, productivity, quality of life and longevity.