I love to sleep. It’s safe to say that my sister Jenny obsesses about sleep. Research shows that healthy regular sleep patterns contribute to maintaining brain health. 

There are 4 stages in a healthy sleep cycle. 

According to sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep, 
‘Stage 1 (N1) is the lightest stage of sleep and occurs as a person first falls asleep. 

Stage 2 (N2) is where the body starts to relax more deeply. Body temperature drops, muscles relax, and heart and breathing rate slow. 

Stage 3 (N3 or deep sleep) is the deepest and more restorative sleep, allowing the body to recover and grow. 

Stage 4 (REM Sleep) is where most dreaming occurs, brain activity increases, and the body becomes temporarily paralyzed.’ 

It’s important to your body and to your brain that you have a nice steady, regular sleep cycle. Simply, sleeping more is better than sleeping less, but across the country who’s getting the most sleep? 

According to axios.com,
‘Washingtonians are getting more sleep than most, but it’s still not enough, according to a study that tracked the sleep of nearly 60,000 Apple Watch users from February to June 2022. Experts say sleeping seven or more hours is crucial for your health, but many people try to fix broken sleep habits the wrong way.’ 

My sister Jenny has an Apple Watch, and she’s not shy about sharing with me what it says about her sleep habits.  

Among other things, the Apple Watch study from 2022 discovered that on average, Americans logged less than six and 1/2 hours of sleep a night. Healthy sleep is described as 7 1/2 hours or more. Back in the 1940’s, the average American slept 7.9 hours a night. If we’re trying to sleep healthy, maybe we need to watch TV less and sleep a little bit more. 

Is Washington sleeping more or less? 

The study shows that 62% of Washington residents got fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night. On the surface, that doesn’t sound very good, but Washington is one of the better states for a good night’s sleep. 

Hawaii is one of the worst states to get a good night’s sleep. 75.8% of the populace in Hawaii get less than 7 hours of sleep a night. 

When you talk about getting healthier. Sleep is the easiest part of your life to change that will positively impact your life. Deep sleep is essential in helping your body repair itself. Deep sleep helps to restore your immune system, lower your blood pressure, and recent studies also show that it’s essential to brain health. 

Turn off the TV, shut down the gaming console, and get some sleep.

7 Proven Ways To Get Good Sleep After Watching Scary Movies