Dakota Johnson revealed in a recent interview that she can easily get 14 hours of sleep and “not function” on less than 10 hours of sleep. “It depends on what’s going on in my life. If I don’t work, if I have a day off on Monday, then I sleep as long as I can. Sleep is the number one priority in my life,” she said. Yes, sleep is the number one priority for most of us. ‘QUALITY OF SLEEP MAY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN QUANTITY’ There is no scientific evidence that people who sleep 12 hours inherently have more energy. The main factors are sleep cycle and pattern. Sleep quality seems to be more important than quantity. Sleep consists of three stages: N1, N2, N3 and REM. Achieving REM indicates deeper sleep and higher quality rest. Therefore, if someone sleeps for 12 hours but does not achieve REM or has poor sleep quality, the duration becomes less significant. What really matters is not just the quantity but also the quality of sleep,” explains Dr Ashish Kumar Prakash, consultant respiratory and sleep medicine, Medanta, Gurugram.
Experts say that sleep quality is more important than quantity
‘ANYTHING LESS THAN SIX HOURS IS PROBABLY TOO LITTLE’ “Anything under six hours is probably too little and it’s been linked to a lot of health problems, including stroke, inability to concentrate, increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, diabetes, and other metabolic problems,” said Dr. Puneet Khanna, HOD and consultant respiratory specialist, Manipal Hospital Ho Chi Minh City, Dwarka. “Less than seven hours of sleep is associated with adverse health consequences and impaired performance. While more than nine hours may be appropriate for certain groups, the potential health risks remain uncertain for others, highlights the importance of getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal health,” said Dr Ambarish Joshi, senior consultant lung and sleep specialist, Health Sciences. Primus Super Specialty Institute, added. EMPHASIZE OBTAINING 30 TO 50% DEEP SLEEP Dr Ashish Kumar Prakash, consultant respiratory and sleep medicine, Medanta, Gurugram, shares: “Even if someone sleeps for 14 hours and if only one Small portions, such as two hours, also constitute deep sleep and the overall sleep quality is poor, the duration of sleep becomes significantly less. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on achieving it 30 to 50% deep sleep for better overall sleep quality.”
