You might be surprised to know that an effective method can help you increase your height along with nutrition and exercise. That is SLEEP.
But does sleeping make you taller indeed? And how?
Let’s reveal the truth in this article!
When you sleep, your body naturally produces the human growth hormone, one of the most crucial factors for growth. During puberty, this hormone is necessary for the overall growth of the body, including muscles, bones, metabolism, physical performance, and so on. But remember that its levels and production decline after puberty.
When you are asleep, your bones do most of their growing, and plenty of the bone mass is formed. But lack of sleep may hinder bone formation and result in an increased risk of weaker bones, bone fracture, and a failure for the bones to regrow.
Plus, sleep affects the intervertebral disc. It is known as a shock padding or absorber to help our spine move easily and freely. But since it is suppressed between the spinal joints during the day, it might make us look shorter than we are. So, when you go to bed, the disc relaxes and regulates itself to turn back to its full size.
Below is the table of the suggested sleep times for nine age groups. This is only a recommended range of sleep for healthy individuals. But it is acceptable if you sleep an hour more or less than the average range.
Age range | Recommended hours of sleep (hours) | |
Newborn | 0 – 3 months old | 14 – 17 |
Infant | 4 – 11 months old | 12 – 15 |
Toddler | 1 – 2 years old | 11 – 14 |
Preschool | 3 – 5 years old | 10 – 13 |
School-age | 6 – 13 years old | 9 – 11 |
Teenager | 14 – 17 years old | 8 – 10 |
Young adult | 18 – 25 years old | 7 – 9 |
Adult | 26 – 64 years old | 7 – 9 |
Older adult | 65 or more years old | 7 – 8 |
The best time to go to bed every night is the time frame suggested above for each age group. For instance, if you want to wake up by 7 a.m., and your amount of sleep is 9 hours, you should consider going to bed before 10 p.m.
The fact is, our body produces growth hormones and adds them to the bloodstream when we sleep, whether we are sleeping day or night. This affects our growth by thickening, lengthening, and strengthening bones little by little. At this point, taking a nap over the long term might enhance our height and promote physical growth. Moreover, afternoon naps help lower fatigue, decrease stress hormones in the body, boost alertness, and improve mood.
The ideal time for a short nap is between 15 and 30 minutes to get all the benefits. Do not sleep more than 30 minutes, or you might feel asleep after waking up and find it hard to go to bed at night.
Here are a couple of tips to help you get a good night’s sleep.
First, you need to know why having a proper sleeping position might support your height. Well, our spine has three different curves, basically at the neck, the middle, and the lower back. As all three curves fall naturally when we sleep, the whole body needs to be supported. So, a correct sleep position allows these curves to be held during the night.
Below are the ideal sleeping positions you should follow.
Most of us notice that this position is the most comfortable one, for many good reasons. With a suitable mattress, your spine can remain neutral and elongated while on your side, and this may prevent excessive neck, back, and shoulder pain.
Side sleeping is great when your chest and legs are maintained straight, with your spine in a lengthened yet natural alignment. You should use a firm or ergonomic cushion with a medium height to support your head and neck. If you want to reduce pressure on your lower back, you should add a pillow between your legs to support your lower back, hips, and pelvis.
This is the second common position that can support your height effectively. Since when you sleep on your back flat on the bed, it helps regulate your spine in a natural position. And if you elevate your head with a pillow, it will be helpful in decreasing issues related to acid reflux.
Along with nutrition and exercise, getting a good night’s sleep is known as one of the important pillars of health. As mentioned above, sleeping might help you grow taller in many ways. An average person needs to sleep for 7 to 9 hours per night and lie in a proper posture to notice the change in height.
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