Facing the Winter Slump
It’s that time of year when it feels like we wake up at the crack of dawn and trudge to school, facing the unforgiving 20-degree walk. The Winter Slump we all face during the season usually makes us feel tired, no matter how many hours of sleep we get. The reduced sun exposure does account for that tired, sluggish, feeling we face. That being said, how much sleep should we really be getting to maintain an energized and healthy body?
Your age is one of the key factors when determining how much sleep you should get each night. According to the Mayo Clinic, the amount of sleep you need each night decreases as you get older. For example, infants need about 12-16 hours of sleep whereas adults should get seven or more. Teenagers from 13 to 18 years old should be getting 8-10 hours of sleep each night. The results from our Wind-Up survey, however, do not show that we achieved that goal. Out of our student body who responded 61.8 percent get six to eight hours of sleep, and 26.5 percent get three to five. Additionally, 5.9 percent only sleep for one to two hours each night.
Ever wonder how you can sleep a longer amount of time than usual and still wake up feeling more tired than normal? That’s due to your sleep cycles. According to the Cleveland Clinic, we go through one REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage and three NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) stages to complete a cycle. Assuming you get the suggested 8 hours of sleep each night, the average person goes through about five to six cycles a night. These cycles usually last 90 to 120 minutes, and get longer as each cycle repeats. If you awaken during the REM cycle, you’re more likely to feel groggy and tired in the morning. This cycle accounts for 25 percent of your sleep each night, so it’s important to find an amount of sleep that allows you to wake up during the NREM stages of sleep.
Sleep debt also plays a role in how energized you feel after waking up. If you only sleep for five of the suggested eight hours at night, then you will have three hours of sleep debt. To repay your sleep debt, webmd.com recommends taking short naps along with sleeping more on the weekends.
“When I’m getting four to five hours [of sleep] each night, I’m not able to feel energized in the morning. It’s hard to stay focused on my schoolwork throughout the day,” Blayke Sicurello, 12 said.
While it is a common struggle to maintain an adequate sleep schedule during the winter months, you can always take advantage of those snow days to repay that sleep debt!