Why is Sleep So Important?
By: Lauren Hernandez
Sleep is one of the most important lifestyle choices besides nutrition and exercise. In order to gain the benefits of sleep, one must complete the 5 stages of the sleep/ rest cycle that occurs at night. It is essential that you strive to sleep the appropriate amount of hours necessary to maintaining a healthy lifestyle- physically and mentally.
These are the nightly sleep recommendations per age:
- Infants four to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours (including naps).
- Children one to two years of age should sleep 11 to 14 hours (including naps).
- Children three to five years of age should sleep 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours (including naps).
- Children six to 12 years of age should sleep nine to 12 hours per 24 hours.
- Teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep eight to 10 hours per 24 hours
Lack of sleep causes negative mental and physical effects such as:
- Weight gain
- Likelihood of infections
- Chronic diseases
- Type-2 diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Increased chances of anxiety
- Increased chances of depression
- Forgetfulness
If you or someone you know has a sleep disorder, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/ .
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CounselingRx 
