Health news: Getting enough sleep to maintain a healthy lifestyle

What is the right amount? Try eight ahours of sleep to keep yourself out of sleep debt and problems The value of exercise and good eating habits have long been recognized in the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.

However, it is also important to balance your exercise regiment with the proper amount of rest. Leading experts in the field now believe that the proper amount of rest may actually add years to the life span. Diet, proper sleep and exercise, coupled with rest and relaxation, are all important factors in preserving the body.

The amount of actual sleep required to perform at peak efficiency varies from person to person. Some require the commonly recommended eight hours a night while others prepared to face the day with as little as five or six. The amount of sleep required is dependent upon several factors, including:

# Your inherited genetic need;

# The daily habits you can control such as smoking, drinking coffee or alcohol, and your exercise routine;

# The quality of your sleep.

How much sleep do you really need and have you built up a sleep debt? Think of your night's sleep as a bank account. During the day you take about eight hours from this account and replenish it while sleeping. If you have a night when you receive only five or six hours of sleep, you will owe the account.

To determine if you have incurred a debt. Try this simple test. Starting on a Sunday, do not drink alcohol, caffeine or smoke. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and get the proverbial seven to eight hours sleep for the next six nights.