Eight is great but
studies show

otherwise

> Eight hours of sleep is actually

not the magic number

Carlos Bilan
Staff Writer

 

yr probably have heard that you
need at least eight hours of sleep per
night. Anything under that is considered
a lack of sleep. But is that really true?

Well, if you think that is
unachievable, then I have good news
for you. Studies have now shown that
seven hours and 30 minutes is actually
the optimal duration of sleep. Not only
that, but eight hours of sleep is actually
not so great. So why does the best sleep
duration happen to be half an hour less
than what you originally thought? Well,
the answer is linked to our sleep cycles.

“Seven and a half hours is a good
benchmark, because the average
person goes through five 90-minute
sleep cycles alternating between sleep
(non-REM) and deep sleep (REM),”
wrote Kevin Philips in a blog for the
Alaska Sleep Education Centre.

You might be thinking, “well,
that’s awfully specific!” Don’t worry, 7.5
hours is a guideline and it’s really no
different from exactly 8 hours, which is
easy to say but not so easy to achieve.
Well, thankfully, having 30 minutes
less from what you initially thought is
actually more beneficial to your health.

Another sleep expert supports the
7.5 hours magic number: Michael Breus
(PhD, D, ABSM) from WebMD wrote:
“you need about 7.5 hours of sleep each
night, and if you count backwards from
when you have to wake up, you can
figure out what time you need to go to
sleep in order to wake more easily.”

If you have slept for 8 or 10 hours
and still feel exhausted or groggy, now
you know why. It’s not due to needing
more sleep but rather that you woke
up during a deep sleep. On the other
hand, if you wake up during your

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light sleep cycle, then you find it is
easier to open your eyes and get up.
Now, this 7.5 hours of sleep is
actually recommended for young adults
(18-25 years old) and adults (26-64 years

old). According to a press release from the
National Sleep Foundation, those who are

17 or under need at least 8 hours of sleep.
The younger you are, the more sleep you
need! This is also linked to their different
sleep cycles. In fact, school age children
(6-13) need at least 9 hours of sleep.
Luckily for adults, the perks of growing
up include not needing too much sleep
to be an effective member in society.
This does not imply that it is okay
to sleep for either 1.5 hours, 3 hours,
4.5 hours, or 6 hours. You probably
will wake up easily, but you will be
deprived of sleep. You might even
be one of those people who can brag
about getting less than 6 hours of sleep
and still doing great in college and
work. However, this thought can be
detrimental to your mental health.
Once you lose focus when doing
a job, you will find it really difficult
to regain focus. Not only that, you
will not even notice your decrease in
performance. According to a press
release by the Society for Neuroscience:
“Sleep-deprived workers may not know
they are impaired [...] The periods of
apparently normal functioning could give
a false sense of competency and security
when, in fact, the brain’s inconsistency
could have dire consequences.”
Just keep in mind that too little of a good
thing is bad for your health. Personally,
I have tried timing my sleep and setting
an alarm that will ring 7.5 hours after.
Sometimes, I wake up even before my
alarm rings and I’m wide awake. Or when
my alarm rings, it just feels easier to get
up. Try it yourself and see if it makes a
difference. I can vouch that it has for me.

Image via Thinkstock

 

EN -W-lOM(o(-t- Mich mB cela ee
M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca

(¥Y Beauty on a Budget: NYX Wonder Pencil

And more!

Glamour Daze

> An archive for the vintage fashion lover

Brittney MacDonald
Life & Style Editor

 

A: you a vintage style fan? Do you
jump at the chance to learn finger

waves, and the proper way to fit a below
the knee, A-line skirt? Or maybe you're
just a fashion history buff looking for
anything to feed your addiction?

Well, have I got the motherlode
for you! YouTube channel Glamour
Daze is an archive of various fashion
and beauty videos from the ’20s to
the ’6os. They feature an impressive
collection of old make-up and style
tutorials, and even some vintage fashion
shows. There are also a few videos
from the modern day about vintage-
inspired fashion, but the majority of
the archive is from decades long past.

The channel itself was founded
in 2008, and has a companion website
that was rated a “top vintage blog”
by vintagesearch.com. The site also
provides links to places where you can
buy both vintage and vintage-inspired

 

 

 

clothing, as well as information about
Besame Cosmetics, a make-up line that
uses cosmetic formulas from the ’30s,
and is said to be a dream for people
with extremely sensitive skin. For all
my DIY buddies who come equipped
with a sewing machine, Glamour

Daze is also in partnership with
Reconstructing History, an archive of
vintage and historical sewing patterns.

(¥ November's little known holidays

(¥ Indie fashion feature: Burger and Friends

My favourite thing about the channel

is that some of the videos are narrated,
with the probably-now-deceased speaker
doling out tips for being a “proper
girl’—needless to say, | fail. I just can’t
seem to make myself care about hot
rollers. One of their newest videos is an
advertisement for a girls’ fashion camp
from the ’4os, which actually looks like
some sort of halfway house for women
fresh out of graduation, and looking to
train in domesticity before marriage.
Needless to say, even if you're
not the biggest fan of the rockabilly
look, you should check out this
archive just for the potential laughs!

Image via makyaj-cantam.blogspot.ca