Tired All the Time? Here's What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You.

Have you ever woken up and felt worn out after a full night’s sleep? Do you drag yourself through the afternoon? When you’re juggling a lot—work, kids, and caring for others—sleep often gets pushed aside. But that comes at the cost of your health. Your mood, weight, and heart all need sleep to function well.

What Actually Happens While You Sleep?

Sleep is not just your body going quiet and still. It’s when your body heals, stores memories, and gives your heart a rest. There are three stages of sleep: deep sleep, light sleep, and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is when you dream. During the night, your body cycles through the three stages of sleep.

During deep sleep, your body decreases the level of stress hormones. It also:

• Sorts through the day’s memories and stores them
• Repairs cells and fights germs
• Releases growth hormones in children
• Gives your heart a rest as your heart rate and blood pressure drop

What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep?

Not getting enough sleep can affect you right away. In the short term, you may have trouble focusing, get sick often, and have more mood swings. Your body hasn’t had time to reset. Over time, the effect can build and include:

• Higher risk of high blood pressure and heart disease
• Weight gain
• Depression and anxiety

Lack of sleep is even harder on children. Late bedtimes and screens right before bed can lead to health problems for kids. When they don’t get enough sleep, they may have trouble focusing or start acting out. They may also have problems performing well in school.

Talk to your doctor if you or your child never feel rested after at least 8 hours of sleep. This may be a sign of a deeper condition, like sleep apnea, which is when you briefly stop breathing during the night.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

It depends on your age. The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following:

Age Group	Age	Daily Recommended Sleep
Newborn	0 to 3 months	14-17 hours
Infant	4 to 12 months	12-16 hours (including naps)
Toddler	1 to 2 years	11-14 hours (including naps)
Preschool	3 to 5 years	10-13 hours (including naps)
School age	6 to 12 years	9-12 hours
Teen	13 to 17 years	8-10 hours
Adult	18 to 60+ years old	7 or more hours

 

Simple Things to Help You Tonight

If you have trouble sleeping, a few small changes to your daily habits can help. The good news is that better sleep doesn’t require an expensive mattress, a noise machine, or other devices. Try these tips:

• Set a regular bedtime, even on weekends.
• Keep phones and other screens out of the bedroom.
• Make the room dark and cool.
• Skip caffeine after 2 pm.
• Build a calming routine before bed, like reading or taking a bath, to signal to your brain that sleep is coming.

If sleep problems keep coming back, talk to your doctor. There may be a hidden cause that’s easy to treat. Parkland Community Health Plan members can call the 24/7 Nurse Line at any time:

• STAR: 1-888-667-7890
• CHIP/CHIP Perinate: 1-800-357-3162