Myths and facts involving sleep

Myth: If you can’t fall asleep, lie down until you are asleep
Fact: Rare are the nights when you put your head on a pillow and immediately sink into a deep sleep. More and more people are struggling to fall asleep because of stress, anxiety and the problems they face every day. When you can’t fall asleep, it’s good to linger for 15-20 minutes and give your maximum to relax. But if you can’t fall asleep, get out of bed because you risk anxiety and frustration. Experts advise in such a case to get out of bed and listen to relaxation music or read a book. When you feel that your eyes are starting to close, go back to bed.
Myth: Everyone should sleep 8 hours a day
Fact: 8 is not a magical, but an average number of hours needed for a person to sleep and function normally. Although Thomas Edison was sleeping 4 hours, and Bill Clinton claims that he slept 4-5 hours, you are unlikely to be part of people who can sleep less, and function normally without disturbing their health. Scientists estimate that only 10% of people are “programmed” to sleep more or less than the recommended 7-8 hours. To find out what your magic number is, choose one day in which you feel fresh and full of energy and remember how many hours you slept the previous night. Or, sleep one night for 9 hours and then lower 15 minutes of sleep time each day and observe how you feel. This way you can easily find out how much sleep you need.