We know that sleep is important for our well being and that it’s as essential as food and water. However, many of us still don’t get enough of it.

Without adequate sleep, we can’t function — physically or mentally. It determines not only how we feel, but also how we handle cognitive tasks.

There is plenty of neural activity while we sleep and scientists believe this is the body’s chance to do everything from boost the immune system to the management of growth hormones in children.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Without sleep, neurons may become so depleted in energy or so polluted with byproducts of normal cellular activities that they begin to malfunction. Sleep also may give the brain a chance to exercise important neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate from lack of activity.”

Going without sleep also can present an environment that welcomes health problems and disease.

What researchers already know is how much sleep we need. On average, adults need about seven to eight hours of sleep, teenagers need about nine and infants need about 16 hours per day. But researchers are still examining ways sleep, or lack thereof, affects the body.

For example, they want to find new therapies to help people overcome jet lag and “problems associated with shift work,” according to NINDS.

In the meantime, there are a few tips the agency has provided to ensure you get out of a sleep-deprived cycle.

 

Set a schedule

Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Disrupting this schedule may lead to insomnia.

Exercise

Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Ideally, you’d want to do this five to six hours before going to bed. Daily exercise helps people sleep, although a workout soon before bedtime may interfere with sleep.

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol:

Caffeine acts as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and often wake up in the early morning due to nicotine withdrawal. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep.

Relax before bed

A warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine can make it easier to fall sleep.

Sleep until sunlight

If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body’s internal biological clock reset itself each day.

Don’t lie in bed awake

If you can’t get to sleep, don’t just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading, watching television, or listening to music, until you feel tired. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep can actually contribute to insomnia.

Control your room temperature

Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.

See a doctor if your sleeping problem continues

If you have trouble falling asleep night after night, or if you always feel tired the next day, then you may have a sleep disorder and should see a physician. Most sleep disorders can be treated effectively.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke