GQ — Medical experts agree: You need sleep to not die. But too little will impair your memory, hygiene, and ability to handle heavy machinery. Too much could lead to diabetes, obesity and heart disease. So how can you get the right amount of z’s? Follow our seven-night plan.
GQ — We all know we’re living in a world that is deeply unrested—please join us in rolling your eyes at the phrase “eight hours a night”—but the statistics are overwhelming. One in four Americans suffers from a sleep disorder, says M. Safwan Badr, M.D., president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, adding that sleeplessness is linked to a higher risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and general dying. “The return on investment of good sleep is incalculable,” he says.
Even if you’re stuck with less sleep than you’d like, there are shortcuts to boost quality if not quantity. And no, bourbon before bed isn’t what we mean.