SPOKANE, Wash. – The National Sleep Foundation dedicated this week to sleep awareness. It’s an opportunity to start and maintain healthy sleep habits that could improve nearly every aspect of your life.”We know folks who don’t sleep enough actually take years off their lives,” said MultiCare’s Dr. Sarah d’Hulst. “I think it’s really important to develop some of those really basic health habits. Sleep is my top one.”Because so much of your overall health is dependent on getting adequate rest. “Sleep is so important to our everyday function,” she said. “We have tied sleep to academic performance, athletic performance, driving, heart and stroke risk. I really think it’s important to understand sleep is important every day. It’s not something you can just catch up on.”Dr. d’Hulst says establishing a set routine is helpful. She recommends setting a firm bedtime, limiting caffeine after lunch, getting active and taking it easy on screen time, especially one hour before you want to fall asleep.As far as the daylight-saving switch, her best advice is making gradual changes. “It’s hard to set a bedtime an hour ahead, but if you do 15 minutes every few days, it’s a little easier to adjust that bedtime,” she said.So, what about that magic number of hours asleep?”For adults, minimum of seven hours,” she said. “What I say is if you can get through your day, wake up without an alarm and not feel tired in the middle of the afternoon, you’re probably getting enough sleep.”Dr. d’Hulst says children likely need far more and that each of their needs can vary.”Our students and student athletes or young kids could need as much 10, 12 or even more hours of sleep for their peak mental health, athletic and academic performance,” she said.She advises parents to communicate directly with their child’s doctor if they have any concerns over sleep.
