By JUDD MATSUNAGA, ESQ.
How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Are you refreshed and ready to go, or groggy and grumpy? For many people, the second scenario is all too common.
Over 100 years ago (1910), Americans slept about nine hours a night. In today’s fast-paced society, Americans get an average of seven hours, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to the CDC, about 35% of Americans sleep less than the recommended seven hours each night. (Source: Harvard Medical School, Improving Sleep, Special Health Report)
In older adults, REM sleep decreases slightly, but still hovers around 20% of total sleep time. Other changes are more pronounced. Deep sleep accounts for less than 10% of sleep time, and in some people it is completely absent. Falling asleep takes longer, and the shallow quality of sleep results in dozens of awakenings during the night. Doctors used to reassure older people that they needed less sleep than younger ones to function well, but sleep experts now know that isn’t true.
This Rafu Shimpo article comes from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) website (www.thensf.org/sleep-health-topics/). On Feb. 9, 2026, NSF announced that Sleep Awareness Week 2026 will take place from March 8-14. Sleep Awareness Week, now in its 28th year, is the NSF’s annual campaign emphasizing the importance of sleep to health and well-being and a call to action for the public to prioritize getting enough of the quality sleep they need.
Each year, NSF releases the results of its hallmark Sleep in America Poll during the campaign week. The Sleep in America Poll helps the public understand key attitudes, behaviors, and experiences with sleep health and explores a broad range of topics, including aging, exercise, and incorporating healthy sleep behaviors into daily living. Most recently, the 2025 Sleep in America Poll showcased the powerful link between sleep health and an individual’s ability to flourish in life.
“This Sleep Awareness Week, we’re eager to share groundbreaking findings and fresh insights from our latest research with communities nationwide and across the globe,” said Steven Lerman, MD, MPH, chair of the NSF Board of Directors.
“NSF is here is to help every person, young and old, become their ‘Best Slept Self,’” said John Lopos, CEO of NSF. Sleep Awareness Week begins at the start of Daylight Saving Time, when most Americans change their clocks and lose an hour of sleep.
Let’s start with a basic question: How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? Getting enough sleep is doable and important for your health. Sleep is essential to feeling rested and alert. Getting the right amount helps you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go. Every person is different when it comes to the exact amount of sleep that’s optimal for them, but most people fall within a range, depending on their age.
There is no precise number of minutes or hours of sleep at night that guarantees you will wake up feeling totally refreshed. Based on your age and lifestyle, the recommended amount likely falls within a certain range. Preschoolers (3-5 years) should get 10 to 13 hours, while school-age kids (6-13 years) should strive for 9 to 11 hours each night. As kids get older, their need for sleep decreases slightly. Teens (14-17 years) require about 8 to 10 hours of nightly sleep. Adults between the ages of 18 and 64 should aim for 7 to 9 hours of nightly sleep. If you’re older than 65, you may need a little less: 7 to 8 hours is recommended.
Secondly, How Is Your Sleep Health Linked to Your Mental Health? Research shows there’s a BIG connection between sleep and emotional well-being. Sleep is a critical part of your overall health. The quality and quantity of your sleep are deeply connected to your mental and emotional well-being. During sleep, the body and mind go through various restorative processes, including repairing and rejuvenating cells, consolidating memories, processing emotions, and cleansing toxins from the brain.
Good sleep can help you regulate your emotions better as well as improve cognitive skills like learning and attention. When we don’t get enough of the quality sleep we need for our bodies to function at their best, it can affect our mental health, too. Poor sleep can make it harder to cope with daily stress. We may be more impacted by minor negative things and less likely to notice the positive parts of our day.
Think about the last time you didn’t sleep your best. Did you feel irritable or short-tempered? It’s likely that you had trouble dealing with emotions that arose from minor challenges. Maybe you noticed that it was easier to slip into feelings of stress, worry or anxiety. Getting too little or poor-quality sleep, even for a few nights a week, is associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms.
However, there is light at the end of the tunnel: when we sleep well, we are recharged and ready to face the day. Following good sleep, we tend to cope better, process information in a more balanced fashion, and have a brighter outlook on life.
Thirdly, The Stress-Sleep Connection. People with less stress report better sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2022 Sleep in America Poll, lower levels of stress are strongly associated with higher-quality sleep. Among those surveyed, Americans who consider themselves in better overall health and who report lower stress levels also report better sleep health.
Clearly, there is a strong connection between overall health and sleep health. Health and stress management are entire fields that go well beyond sleep health alone. Don’t let sleep (or lack thereof) add to your stresses. Healthy sleep is just that; it can make you feel better and more able to face the challenges of life. Fortunately, the NSF provides many tips to help you get the recommended hours of sleep.
Which leads to the fourth topic: Get Moving to Get Better Sleep. It’s no secret that exercise has widespread health benefits. It improves your mental and physical health and keeps you focused and energized during the day. It also does wonders for the quality of your sleep by promoting restorative sleep. Even knowing all the great benefits that exercise provides, it can be hard to get started and to find the time to make it part of your daily routine.
Physical activity promotes better sleep because it helps regulate your circadian rhythm — your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. But a lot of us aren’t feeling the positive effects that moderate to vigorous physical activity can have on our sleep health. According to one poll, nearly all Americans surveyed reported engaging in some sort of light activity, such as slow walks or household chores, but higher-intensity activity was less common. In fact, 36% of Americans polled get less than the 2.5 total hours of moderate or vigorous exercise that the CDC says we need each week.
“What about napping?” you might ask. That brings me to the fifth topic: The Benefits of Napping. If you ever wondered whether napping is good for you, research shows that most people who enjoy a nap benefit from it. First of all, they aren’t just for children. About one-third of adults in the U.S. take a daily nap. And more men than women are fond of napping. For many people, naps can be a way to refresh and recharge mid-day.
While healthy adults don’t need to nap, many find napping provides positive benefits. Researchers say a 20-minute nap is the best length. A short nap like this allows your mind and body to rest without entering the deeper stages of sleep. If you have time and a need for a longer nap, napping for 60 to 90 minutes is enough time to have deep, slow-wave sleep, but end up in the lighter stages of sleep so you feel alert when you wake. Medium-length naps of around 45 minutes or more can be problematic.
Even a short nap still has benefits! You may be familiar with the term “power nap.” Power naps taken in the early afternoon usually last 15 to 20 minutes and can restore and refresh you when experiencing a natural decline in energy and wakefulness. NASA tested the effects of power napping on astronauts and found that it provided an effective boost to performance and alertness. Scientists have also found that when people napped around 30 minutes, they had better memory recall and superior overall cognition than both non-nappers and those who napped longer.
Finally, How to Make a Sleep-Friendly Bedroom. If you’re having trouble getting a good night’s sleep, it could be that your bedroom isn’t set up optimally. Late-night TV, a smart phone on the night stand, and laptop left open across the room—while these might be found in your average bedroom at night, they could actually be hurting your sleep quality. Make a few simple changes to your bedroom with these tips and create a better sleep environment.
Tip #1: Darken Your Room. Light slows the production of melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that promotes sleep. That’s why keeping your bedroom dark is an essential part of creating a good sleep environment. Dim the lights in your room as bedtime approaches to signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down for the night. Also reduce your blue light exposure — turn off electronics with screens like TVs and computers and set your smart phone to “nighttime” settings — continued exposure to this light can keep you awake even if you have your room lights turned off.
Tip #2: Lower the Temperature. As you fall asleep, your body temperature naturally decreases to promote the sleep-inducing process. Keeping your bedroom cool facilitates this natural occurrence and makes it easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Optimal sleep temperature is slightly different for everyone, so experiment with different nighttime temperature settings in your search for a good sleep environment. In general, experts consider 60 to 67 degrees to be optimal for high-quality sleep.
Tip #3: Reduce Noise. Minimizing noise in the bedroom at night can increase the amount of deep sleep you get while also making it less likely that you’ll wake up during the night. When it’s time for bed, turn off all outside sounds (including the TV — the sudden changes in volume make it harder for you to fall and stay asleep). A quiet environment is much more conducive to a peaceful night of sleep.
In conclusion, an uninterrupted night of peaceful slumber can make all the difference in how you feel the next day. As mounting evidence shows, getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis is vital to your health and well-being. However, if you’re still not sleeping well after incorporating the above tips, it might be time to see your healthcare provider.
Hope this helps. Sweet dreams!!!
Judd Matsunaga, Esq., is the founding partner of the Law Offices of Matsunaga & Associates, specializing in estate/Medi-Cal planning, probate, personal injury and real estate law. With offices in Torrance, Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Pasadena and Fountain Valley, he can be reached at (800) 411-0546. Opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.