We often sacrifice sleep first: one more e-mail, one more episode, one more hour of worrying. It looks like time when “nothing happens”. Research shows the opposite: while we sleep, processes take place in the body that are hard to make up for in any other way.
How much sleep is enoughThe American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that healthy adults regularly sleep at least 7 hours a night. According to them, 6 hours or less is not enough for health and safety. People are different, though, so the number is a guide, not a verdict after one bad night.
Sleep and the immune systemThe connection goes both ways. When the immune system is active, for example during an infection, sleep changes. And sleep in turn affects the body’s defences. A large scientific review from 2019 concludes that sleep is linked to a lower risk of infections and a better response to vaccines. Long-term disrupted sleep, on the other hand, is linked to a constant low level of inflammation in the body.
One study shows this especially clearly. In 2015 researchers tracked the sleep of 164 healthy adults for a week and then exposed them to a cold virus under controlled conditions. People who had slept about 6 hours or less were more than four times as likely to develop a cold as those who had slept more than 7 hours.
What you can try- Get up at the same time– at weekends too. A regular wake-up time is among the main recommendations of sleep specialists.
- Limit caffeine after the early afternoon.
- Switch off screens at least half an hour before bed.
- Create an evening ritual: a book, a warm shower, a few minutes of calm breathing. What matters is that your body recognises that the day is ending.
- Keep the bedroom for sleep: a dark, quiet and cooler room.
When to seek helpIf for weeks you have trouble falling asleep, wake up often or are exhausted during the day, talk to a doctor. Chronic insomnia can be treated. The American College of Physicians recommends cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia – a special kind of psychological work with sleep – as the first step for adults. Loud snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep are also a reason for a check-up.
Good sleep is one of the simplest forms of self-care. Energy practices can support calm, but they do not replace sleep or medical care.
For your evening ritualFree: the guided meditation
“Release the old, Embrace the new” is in the Library and opens with a free profile. You will also find
meditation music.
If you would like to talk to someone: in a
personal session with Teo you can look at what weighs on you and find your next steps – online or in Amsterdam (€250, about 100 minutes). The session does not replace a visit to a doctor.