Sleep is a critical body function that is an absolute necessity for a person’s survival, and is defined as a “naturally occurring condition of the mind and body where the nervous system is mostly inactive and the body is paralyzed.”

Some of the important things sleep helps us do include: helps the brain focus, keeps emotions in check, and boosts the immune system. Without sleep, some things that could happen are high blood pressure, a heart attack, diabetes, and early death. Being sleep-deprived can literally shave years off your life.

So what are some questions you can ask yourself to find out if you’re sleep-deprived?

1. Is getting out of bed in the morning a struggle?
2. Do you need a loud alarm in the morning to wake up?
3. Do you sometimes find yourself falling asleep when you don’t mean to?If you answered yes to any of these questions you have at least a bit of sleep deprivation. Some ways to help you gain more sleep are don’t get on any electronics before bed, don’t be in your room/bed unless you are going to bed, not caffeine after 3 pm, and switching up your room. Improving your sleep habits could even help to keep a healthy weight.

   The amount of sleep you need depends on your age and the amount of activity you do. To help figure out how much you need I have provided it down below:

Newborns(0-3 months): 14-17 hours

Infants(4-11 months): 12-14 hours

Toddlers(1-2 years): 11-14 hours

Preschoolers(3-5): 10-13 hours

School-age kids(6-13): 9-11 hours

Teenagers(14-17): 8-10 hours

Young Adults(18-25): 7-9 hours

Adults(26-64): 7-9 hours

Elderly(65+): 7-8 hours.

Try some of the strategies I provided above, some might help and they might not. If you constantly are unable to sleep, you should talk to your doctor.