People need to stop worrying about getting a perfect eight hours of sleep, experts say

By Nikolas Lanum Fox News

Published November 21, 2023 9:00pm EST

Experts suggest that Americans stop worrying about getting a perfect eight hours of sleep and warn that stressing about the magic number may actually result in a drop in sleep quality and duration.

Dr. Reena Mehra, a director of sleep-disorders research at the Cleveland Clinic, told The Wall Street Journal that consciously focusing on falling asleep may impede the process.

"It works against the individual," she said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than a third of Americans do not achieve the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

Top view of a blonde woman sleeping in bed

The agency also found that quality sleep is defined by major sleep episodes that do not have frequent arousals and the amount of sleep each person needs may be an inherited trait.

One paper looking into the ideal amount of sleep found that "Sleep duration recommendations issued by public health authorities are important for surveillance and help to inform the population of interventions, policies, and healthy sleep behaviors. However, the ideal amount of sleep required each night can vary between different individuals due to genetic factors and other reasons, and it is important to adapt our recommendations on a case-by-case basis."

Furthermore, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have concluded that a lack of sleep can correspond with higher rates of heart attack, stroke and a host of other diseases.

A mother and her daughter sleep in bed together.

In the past, a lack of sleep was a sign to bosses and friends that a person was productive and successful. But today, getting a comfy eight hours is seen as a status symbol, with people creating spreadsheets and strategies to maximize their rest.

Researchers, scientists, psychologists and individuals in the sleep business resoundingly told The Wall Street Journal that the best course of action when it comes to sleep is to relax.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine clinical associate professor of neurology and psychology Dr. Shelby Harris said patterns and routines are more important than the magic eight-hour number.

However, she stressed that people do not need to be so rigid that they can no longer sleep at all if they have to break from their routine to work late or deal with a restless child.

Harris also noted that it is essential to remember that humans were able to sleep peacefully well before the advent of drugs and technology.

"The pressure we put on ourselves is making sleep worse," she said.

People need to stop worrying about getting a perfect eight hours of sleep, experts say

专家称，人们应该停止对8小时最佳睡眠的担忧

Experts suggest that Americans stop worrying about getting a perfect eight hours of sleep and warn that stressing about the magic number may actually result in a drop in sleep quality and duration.

专家建议人们应该停止对8小时完美睡眠的担忧，提醒人们过分强调这一神奇数字实际上会降低睡眠的质量和持续性。

Dr. Reena Mehra, a director of sleep-disorders research at the Cleveland Clinic, told The Wall Street Journal that consciously focusing on falling asleep may impede the process.

克利夫兰诊所睡眠障碍研究主管Reena Mehra博士告诉《华尔街日报》，刻意关注入睡可能会影响睡眠过程。

"It works against the individual," she said.

她说“这和个人意愿是反的”。

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than a third of Americans do not achieve the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

根据疾病控制预防中心数据，超过三分之一的人无法获得建议的每晚7到9小时的睡眠时间。

The agency also found that quality sleep is defined by major sleep episodes that do not have frequent arousals and the amount of sleep each person needs may be an inherited trait.

该机构还发现，高质量的睡眠是由那些没有频繁醒来的主要睡眠时间段来定义的，而且每个人要睡眠的时间是和遗传有关系的。

One paper looking into the ideal amount of sleep found that "Sleep duration recommendations issued by public health authorities are important for surveillance and help to inform the population of interventions, policies, and healthy sleep behaviors. However, the ideal amount of sleep required each night can vary between different individuals due to genetic factors and other reasons, and it is important to adapt our recommendations on a case-by-case basis."

一项关于理想睡眠时间的研究发现，“公共卫生部门发布的睡眠时间建议对于监视很重要，也有助于通知人们了解关于睡眠的干预、策略和健康睡眠习惯。然而，由于基因和其他一些因素，每个人每晚所需要的理想的睡眠时间都不相同，因此对于睡眠时间的建议我们需要根据具体情况进行调整”。

Furthermore, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have concluded that a lack of sleep can correspond with higher rates of heart attack, stroke and a host of other diseases.

此外，美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）和美国心脏协会（AHA）给出结论，睡眠不足可能会增加心脏病、中风和其他疾病的发病率。

In the past, a lack of sleep was a sign to bosses and friends that a person was productive and successful. But today, getting a comfy eight hours is seen as a status symbol, with people creating spreadsheets and strategies to maximize their rest.

在过去，睡眠不足对老板和朋友来说是一个人有效率和成功的标志。但今天，能够获得舒适的八小时睡眠被视为一种身份象征，人们使用各种规划和策略来获得最大限度地休息。

Researchers, scientists, psychologists and individuals in the sleep business resoundingly told The Wall Street Journal that the best course of action when it comes to sleep is to relax.

研究人员、科学家、心理学家以及睡眠行业人员告诉《华尔街日报》，对于睡眠来说，最好的方法就是放松。

Albert Einstein College of Medicine clinical associate professor of neurology and psychology Dr. Shelby Harris said patterns and routines are more important than the magic eight-hour number.

阿尔伯特爱因斯坦医学院神经学和心理学临床副教授Shelby Harris博士说，睡眠方式和习惯要比神奇的八小时数字更重要。

However, she stressed that people do not need to be so rigid that they can no longer sleep at all if they have to break from their routine to work late or deal with a restless child.

然而，她强调，如果人们因为工作到很晚，或者带一个不知疲惫的娃而不得不打破他们的睡眠习惯从而导致根本无法睡觉时，他们不需要对此太严格。

Harris also noted that it is essential to remember that humans were able to sleep peacefully well before the advent of drugs and technology.

Harris还指出，我们要记住，人类在没有药物和技术的时候，是能够睡得很平和的。

"The pressure we put on ourselves is making sleep worse," she said.

“我们自己给自己的压力让我们的睡眠更糟糕”，她说道。