Where should I start when trying to improve my overall health? There are many different ways to improve your physical and emotional health, but for me I have to start with sleep. Like any other young adult, I love sleep but can't get enough of it. I would say I get maybe six hours a couple of times a week, and other times it can be as little as three or four. For me sleep is the starting point for how the rest of my day goes, when I get enough sleep I am more alert and active, and when I get little or no sleep I am distracted and lethargic. I would benefit both physically and emotionally if I started getting an adequate amount of sleep every night. When I start thinking about changing my sleep pattern, I wonder how much sleep we need. Dr. Timothy Morganthaler specializes in critical care and pulmonology. and Sleep Medicine, believes that “the amount of sleep you need depends on various factors, especially your age” (np). There are different recommendations for different age groups. Infants and toddlers are expected to sleep 9-10 hours excluding naps, school-aged children should sleep approximately 9-11 hours, and adults are recommended to sleep 7-8 hours per night (Morgenthaler). Other factors contribute to how much sleep we should get, such as aging, pregnancy, sleep quality, and prior sleep deprivation. Since I am almost always sleep deprived, the amount of rest I need increases. Some people say they can function on just a few hours of sleep, but research shows that when tested mentally those who get a good amount of sleep perform better than those who don't (Morgenthaler). According to Dr. Morgenthaler, adults who sleep more or less than the recommended seven to eight hours per night are associated... in the middle of the paper... five sleepless nights. I have noticed that it is more difficult to concentrate on a single task because the my mind is thinking or distracted. My sleep pattern needs to change because it could cause serious damage to my body and well-being. To become a healthier person I need to sleep at least seven hours a night. Works Cited Breus, Michael J.. “Sleep Tight.” WebMD. Np, nd Web. 8 April 2014. .Morgenthaler, Timothy. “Adult Health.” How many hours of sleep are enough? Np, nd Web. April 8, 2014. “Sleep Deprivation and Memory Loss.” WebMD. WebMD and Web. April 8. 2014. .