Sleep is essential for our health, and our health affects how much sleep our bodies need. Sleeping is our body’s way of saying ‘you have to rest’ or you ‘have to be healthy.’ The amount of bedtime differs according to our age and health. Thus, younger people need more sleep than adults, and sick people need more sleep to recover faster.
When you are sick, it is normal to feel tired and lethargic all day. It is as if you have no strength to carry on with your daily activities. When a person is sick, it means something is off with our bodies. The cells, body organs, and immune system are not functioning well. Thus, needing more time to recover and kick back in position.
Recommended Sleeping Time for Sick People
Each person’s sleeping architecture changes as they grow old. And the amount of sleep a person needs depends on how they feel and their productivity. Getting sleep below the average recommended sleeping time is considered a short sleep deprivation, leading to severe problems in the long run.
The average sleeping hours for babies is between 14 to 17 hours, for toddlers is 11 hours to 9 hours, and for adults, it is 8 hours. When we complete these recommended sleeping hours, we feel recharged, energetic, and driven to make the most of our day. However, when we are sick, we wake up feeling tired and weak.
To support the full recovery of our body from illness, it needs more time to repair itself. It is recommended to add one hour of sleep at night and at least one hour of naps during the day. When we sleep, our cells recharge and clean themselves, it is when our liver detoxifies, and our body systems create antibodies to fight the illness.
Why Do I need To Sleep When Sick?
You have nothing to worry about feeling tired and weak when you are sick. It just means your antibodies and immune system are taking your energy to fight those cells that make you sick. Sleeping when sick helps our bodies produce and release more cytokines, a particular type of protein in our immune system that fights infections and diseases. Thus, making our immune response sturdier and more robust.
Sleeping also helps our body in fighting a fever aside from fever reducers. Physical activities are not the only ones that take up our body’s energy. Our minds do, too. Thus, sleeping uses our energy by strengthening our immune system to recover as quickly as possible.
When you sleep, you are most likely to spend most of your time isolated in your room. And that means you are less likely to go out and infect other people. Sleeping also magnifies the effects of medicines and vitamins you take for your illness.
How to Know If I’m sleeping Too Much
On average, sleeping for more than ten hours per day is considered oversleeping. However, if you’re sick, that could be an exception. When you feel sick and tired, it means something is wrong with your body. It can be a common cold, flu, or sometimes, fever. And it is our body saying we have to recharge and rest.
The first few days of sickness require more sleep and rest. You may find yourself feeling tired all day and sleeping. But, you must wake up and get up if you can to eat, drink water, and perform light tasks. However, if you’re sick for almost a week and not getting better, it is better to schedule a consultation with your physician to run some tests.
How to get good sleep when sick
Indeed, being sick makes you tired and weak, but that doesn’t mean you can sleep better. A dry cough, clogged nose, and high fever sometimes prevent you from getting quality sleep. Here are some sleep tips you can practice when you’re sick.
- Make sure your room is comfortable first thing you should do to have a good night’s sleep is to make your room comfortable. It depends on how you like it, dark, well-lit, quiet, or with a gentle sound.
- Get the most comfortable sleeping position.
Trying with a clogged nose, headache, or excessive cough is challenging. So, you might want to be as comfortable as possible at night. Position your head higher than your body to clear out nasal passages and reduce the pressure in your head. You can use medical-grade pillows that are soft and flexible for patient comfort. But, make sure that you don’t stack them so high to avoid getting a stiff neck or other muscle problems.
- No to Cold medications
Most cold medications like decongestants contain substances that make you feel awake at night. Avoid taking them hours before bedtime. Instead, ask for a prescription of medicines made for nighttime.
- Take a bath
Even if you’re not sick, it is very refreshing to take a bath before bedtime. It can help you relax and feel refreshed. When you’re sick, you should take a warm bath at night for refreshment, and it helps loosen and clear mucus in the nose and throat.
- Use a humidifier
A humidifier helps prevent clogged noses and congested airways. It also maintains moisture in the air, which can ease the symptoms caused by cold and flu. It also lubricates your nasal passages allowing you to breathe more manageable when you are sick. Humidifiers promote good sleep because they can relieve the discomfort of your sickness.
- Have a cup of tea or milk
When you are sick and having trouble sleeping, try having a cup of chamomile tea or warm milk at least an hour before bed. In your tea, you can add lemon and honey to soothe your throat. Chamomile tea has antioxidant properties that help repair tissue and speeds up your recovery.
- Use bed accessories
Medical grade bed accessories, especially mattresses, help provide quality sleep. These therapeutic accessories provide comfort and prevent the risk of sweating excessively on the back even when you’re in bed for a more extended period.
- Have a nap
If you’ve tried almost every tip mentioned above, and still, you can’t get a night of continuous sleep, try having naps for at least 30 minutes. During the day, you can also have a series of naps to fill the rest time you need for your recovery.
Wrapping it Up
Getting enough sleep and rest when you are sick helps fasten your recovery. It boosts your immune system and produces essential nutrients to fight off the illness effectively. Always listen to how your body speaks. When you’re tired, rest. When you feel something’s off, sleep and save your energy for the next day. If you need materials to help you have a good night’s sleep, such as comfortable mattresses, pillows, sheets, and blankets, Avacare Medical got it all for you. Learn more from our website.
