We bet you didn't know it was National Sleep Awareness Week. According to the National Sleep Foundation, this year's focus is on "springing forward," the process of losing that precious hour of sleep for Daylight Savings Time. The amount of rest you get is directly related to how you perform daily tasks such as work performance, transportation safety and for kids, it has an impact on school performance. When you don't get enough sleep, you increase your risk of getting into a car accident and decrease reaction times, plus memory is affected. Not getting enough sleep has a negative effect on your health, too, including an increased risk of diabetes, heart problems and psychiatric issues like depression and addiction. Research shows that people who don't get enough sleep have higher BMIs than those who do.
But is there a "magic number" of hours of sleep? Not really -- it depends on factors such as your age and lifestyle. Experts seem to agree that seven to nine hours is acceptable for most adults, and children need about 10-14, depending on their age. Teenagers seem to need about nine hours, but the tricky part is that their sleep/wake schedules don't seem to mesh. Teens are inclined to stay up late but must wake early for school, which can contribute to poor school performance. At any age, however, establishing a consistent sleep schedule in which you go to sleep at the same time each night and wake at the same time each morning can prevent sleep-related health problems and help you make it through the day successfully.