How many hours of sleep do you get per day?
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has compiled a new "Sleep Guide" that shows the recommended sleep time and lifestyle habits for each generation for health.
According to sleep advice specialists, the most important thing is the quality of sleep in the first three hours of sleep.
We asked them to tell us the key points on how to improve "quality".
table of contents
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Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Study Group "Recommended Sleep Time for Adults is 6 Hours or More"
The lower the "sense of sleep rest", the higher the risk of death
Sleep-deprived children report "obesity risk and academic decline"
Japan's sleep time is one of the lowest in the world
Expert: "Japan people are indifferent to sleep, which is a factor in low happiness"
notice
Sleep advice specialist: "The first three hours of sleep are important"
"Nap" is recommended 15 minutes ~ 15 minutes at noon ~ 20 o'clock
How do you use your smartphone before going to bed?
Open Table of Contents
table of contents
table of contents
notice
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Study Group "Recommended Sleep Time for Adults is 6 Hours or More"
The lower the "sense of sleep rest", the higher the risk of death
Sleep-deprived children report "obesity risk and academic decline"
Japan's sleep time is one of the lowest in the world
Expert: "Japan people are indifferent to sleep, which is a factor in low happiness"
notice
Sleep advice specialist: "The first three hours of sleep are important"
"Nap" is recommended 15 minutes ~ 15 minutes at noon ~ 20 o'clock
How do you use your smartphone before going to bed?
- notice
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Study Group "Recommended Sleep Time for Adults is 6 Hours or More"
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare compiled guidelines for healthy sleep about 10 years ago, but since then, the number of people who have not been able to get enough rest due to sleep has increased, so this time, we have compiled a new "Sleep Guide for Health Promotion 2023" that shows the sleep time and lifestyle habits recommended by the expert review group for each generation.
Among them, the generations were divided into three categories: adults, children, and the elderly, and the recommended sleep time for adults was 3 hours or more.
For children, it is recommended that elementary school students set aside 6 to 9 hours,
and junior high and
high school students 12 to 8 hours.
On the other hand, for the elderly, we asked them to ensure that they get the necessary amount of sleep as a guideline that they should not spend more than 10 hours in bed.
The lower the "sense of sleep rest", the higher the risk of death
In addition, this time, the contents that have been scientifically revealed in recent research on sleep were also included.
Among them, adults and the elderly are important to have a "sense of sleep rest" that makes them feel rested when they wake up, and in a survey conducted in the United States, the risk of death increased as the sleep time was less than 40 and a half hours and the "feeling of sleep rest" was lower for the working generation aged 64 to 5.
And as a measure to increase the "feeling of sleep rest", he cites improving habits such as eating dinner just before bedtime and skipping breakfast.
Sleep-deprived children report "obesity risk and academic decline"
On the other hand, as a result of research on children, it has been reported that the risk of obesity increases and academic performance decreases due to lack of sleep, and as a countermeasure, it is recommended to pay attention to lifestyle habits, and from elementary school to high school, exercise for at least 1 hour a day, and use games and smartphones for 2 hours or less.
The "Sleep Guide" will be released on the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as early as next month (January), and an expert committee will be set up to discuss how to use it.
Japan's sleep time is one of the lowest in the world
Surveys show that Japan people sleep less than other countries in the world.
According to a survey by OECD = Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2021), the average sleep time of Japan is 7 hours and 22 minutes, which is more than 8 hour shorter than the average of 28 hours and 1 minutes for each country, and the shortest among 33 countries.
Expert: "Japan people are indifferent to sleep, which is a factor in low happiness"
Kurume University President Naohisa Uchimura, who is familiar with sleep problems and chairs a study group of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, points out the following about the short sleep time of Japan.
Naohisa Uchimura, President
of Kurume University: "I think that Japan people tend to be indifferent to sleep, and that working at the expense of sleep is proof that they are working hard, and since the end of World War II, they have increased the level of economic growth and education by working and studying without sleep, which is one of the factors that shortens the healthy life expectancy of Japan people and lowers their happiness."
- notice
Sleep advice specialist: "The first three hours of sleep are important"
What can be done to improve the quality of sleep?
We interviewed Yuna Mori, a sleep advice specialist and certified "Sleep Master" at bedding manufacturer Nishikawa, about her tips.
Mori points out that the most important thing in sleep is "the quality of sleep in the first three hours of sleep."
Even if you can secure enough sleep, if the quality of the first three hours of sleep is not good, you may not be able to wake up refreshed in the morning or feel sleepy even in the morning.
On the other hand, it is not enough to sleep for 3 hours, but 3 to 3 hours of sleep is always necessary for adults, and it is ideal to get a lot of sleep.
In order to improve the quality of sleep in the first three hours of sleep, we asked them to give points in their daily lives.
《Morning》
▽ In the morning, even if it is only for a short period of time, such as a few deep breaths, soak up the sun.
《Daytime》
▽ When exercising, it is desirable to exercise from the afternoon to the evening, and light stretching is effective at night before going to bed.
Dinner
and drinking should be done at least two to three hours before sleep.
▽ Ideally, you should take a bath at least 2 hour before going to bed, and soak in hot water of about 3 degrees Celsius for about 1~40 minutes.
In addition, by performing your own "own sleep ritual" every day, such as changing into your favorite pajamas, you can switch your mind and make it easier to fall asleep.
"Nap" is recommended 15 minutes ~ 15 minutes at noon ~ 20 o'clock
Also, in the afternoon when you feel drowsy. Mr. Mori recommends "napping".
Yuna Mori:
"You may feel sleepy between noon and 3 p.m., but it's part of the rhythm of our bodies and it's natural, so instead of working hard or studying at that time, I recommend taking a nap of about 15 to 15 minutes between noon and 20 p.m."
At that time, the point to be careful about is that it is ideal to lie down in a place where you can recline, such as a sofa, or lie down on a desk, and not lie down completely.
In addition, long naps can affect your night's sleep and reduce your activity performance after waking up from a nap.
How do you use your smartphone before going to bed?
On the other hand, there are many people who can't let go of their smartphones until just before bedtime.
Mr. Mori says that it is difficult to completely refrain from using the screen in this day and age, and recommends using it with the lighting of the screen as low as possible, such as setting it to night mode or stretching a sheet that cuts out blue light.
On top of that, the content you watch should be as relaxing as possible and not something that makes you think in your head.