Despite prevailing fears, lost z’s will not do you in. But there is a strategy for catching up. Here, the new snooze rules.
FIRST OFF, one thing needs clarifying: If you feel alert and happy throughout the day, chances are you’re getting enough sleep, even if you’re not clocking the recommended amount, says Jim Horne, Ph.D., a professor emeritus of psychophysiology at Loughborough University in England and the author of Sleeplessness. And whenever a couple of nights, or even a full week, of bad sleep leaves you dragging, it’s still not a crisis—you can undo the damage. “There have been a lot of warnings that if you don’t get seven or eight hours every night, you’ll develop high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity,” Horne says. “But the evidence shows that’s not true.” To get back on track after a few lousy nights, follow these easy research-based strategies.
Don’t worry about a one-off
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When something upsetting happens, the best way to handle it is to deal with the negative feelings and let them go. “Not processing emotions appropriately can lead to depression or even high blood pressure,” says Mithu Storoni, M.D., Ph.D., the author of Stress-Proof. The most effective ways to de-stress, though, aren’t always the most obvious. Try one or all of these proven methods to reset and relax.
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