Sleeping Your Way to Success

The old trope of burning the candle at both ends to get ahead has been proven false. You no longer need to buy into the idea that you can only succeed if you get little sleep. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night, depending on age, genetics, health, and any recent sleep issues. Teens need 8-10 hours per night. Sleep is important for organ function, hormone production, weight loss and cellular repair. You must pass through the four stages of sleep to get the most out of every night. The four stages of sleep are: Stage 1 NREM (Non-REM): light sleep, least refreshing, takes up 5-10% of the night. Stage 2 NREM: more solid sleep, takes about 50% of the night. Stage 3 NREM: deep sleep where growth hormone is released, takes 5-10% of sleep time, but takes more if sleep deprived. REM: fragile sleep where dreams occur, takes 20-25% of a night’s sleep. Listen in as sleep expert, Terry Cralle, RN, shares what you need to know about getting enough sleep to succeed.