“Sleep, those little slices of death, how I loathe them”, wrote celebrated author of mystery and macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. If only Poe had realised the importance of sleep, he might have lived past his 40 short years. Indeed, evidence indicates that good sleeping habits can increase life expectancy.

The science of sleep has been well studied and physicians have determined that a prerequisite of a healthy lifestyle is sufficient sleep to meet physical and mental needs. Though requirements vary according to factors such as age and level of activity, it’s generally accepted that eight hours (with a variance of an hour more or less) is a healthy period of time to spend at rest.

Though eight hours is considered an optimum period, there are many factors that can increase an individual’s need for sleep. Heavy exercise, illness, stress, depression and prolonged mental activity are among the most common circumstances. In such cases, nine or 10 hours may be considered more appropriate.

Sleep is important for a variety of reasons and scientists have successfully broken its functions down into the following categories: restoration, preservation, memory processing, ontogenesis and anabolism. Though each of these areas can be explored in depth, in short, they refer to the processes required by all humans for unhindered mental and physical development and for the repair of any injuries sustained to either mind or body through disease or daily activity.

Healthy rest depends on good sleeping habits and by this we mean going to bed and getting up at more or less the same times every day. In doing this, our internal body clocks become more finely tuned and we are not only able to fall asleep quicker, but we also benefit from more restful and productive periods of sleep.

Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and theobromine (from chocolate) for at least four hours before bedtime is sensible if seeking restful sleep. Furthermore, drinking alcohol prior to sleep is inadvisable, as its effects tend to disrupt deep sleep patterns.

Regular exercise can be useful in establishing healthy sleep routines; however, its best avoided two to three hours before bedtime as it encourages increased activity of the heart and nervous system, thereby becoming a hindrance to restful sleep.