I was talking to a mother yday whose 10 month old baby still sleeps around 16 hrs a day, spread across three installments of 10, 3 and 3....
She seemed genuinely unsure how this stacks up against most other babies of comparable age who are down to 12 or 14 hrs...
I did spend time talking to her on this. My views on this are very scientific and correct, but often ignored by even me :-)
First of all a kid of 10 months needs exactly 16 hrs of sleep (from an utopian standpoint). Second kids should continue to sleep for 12 hrs or so up until they are around 7 or 8. From there on it can reduce to an average of 10 till it steadily either reduces to the oft repeated 8 or remains at 10.
For years up until recently I slept around 9 hrs and given a choice will swing back there. I encounter folks at work everyday who boast that they manage on a 4 to 6 hr schedule and they say it with as much pride as males havd in "size" :-)
Am really unsure if lack of sleep is something you should be proud of.
Sleep impacts brain development, severely in babies and continues even in adults. Look at sleep as "dbcc" or re-index time for your brain. :-)
Sleep allows better collection of toxins and hence allows you to manage weight better.
And finally it's the best "calmpose" nature ever made. It not just reduces stress, it murders it :-)
Sleep is easily one of the most under-rated panacea in modern life.
Even the crappy whacky "wheat grass" gets more press time than our old proven and lovable SLEEP :-)
Next time in doubt just doze off, the "rest" will follow.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment