Your sleeping needs
Age
Most of us sleep around 7-8 hours each night. On the whole, we need less sleep as we grow older. Yet older people still try to sleep 7-8 hours. This may explain why many older people wake up in the latter parts of sleep.
Life style
The amount of sleep you need also depends on your life-style. If you have young children who keep you on the go all day, you may need more sleep. If you are not active during the day, you may need less. Some people seem to thrive on only 4 hours a night.
So you have to find your own level. This may mean changing habits such as your usual bed-time.
Pills
A lot of people think they need pills to get a sleep. Your GP will not give you sleeping pills for more than a few nights. They do not work in the long run. They often don't work in the short term. They change the kind of sleep you get. Don't depend on them. Sort out your sleep without them.
Sleep tips
Construct a table like the following one, making a record of the statements which apply to you. Write down how you will use these tips.
| Sleep Tip | How you will use this | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 |
Work hard at putting what you have learned into practice. If you find your sleep is still poor, you should move on to 'Retraining Your Sleep'.
