These habits are good for people of all ages, of course. But the sooner you get on it, the sooner you can reap the sweet, sweet benefits of healthy living.
Get between seven and eight hours of sleep per night.
Long-term research studies show that people who get significantly less than seven hours a night die younger. And some research shows that people who sleep more than nine hours also have problems. Dr. Timothy Morganthaler, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, says seven to eight hours is the sweet spot, according to an interview he gave to the Wall Street Journal.
Here are 14 scientific hacks to help you get a better night's sleep, in case it helps!
Get outside.
More and more research is showing just how important it is for people to be one with nature. And even just living near it helps. For instance, people who live close (within about a half-mile) to a good amount of green space are healthier than those who live farther away from it, according to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. People who lived close to a high percentage of green space had fewer anxiety disorders, and fewer infectious diseases of the digestive system, among other perks.
Plus, nature is real pretty.
Check out the National Park Service to find a park near you.
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Have safe sex. Every time.
Gonorrhea is legit becoming untreatable, for starters. Yum!
On a more serious note, having control over your reproductive decisions is tied to better outcomes for pretty much everyone (that includes you!). Research collected by the Guttmacher Institute shows that parents who choose when to have kids are happier; their relationships are more stable; and their relationships with the children are stronger. That's compared to people who have kids by accident, who experience greater incident rates of depression and anxiety; are more likely to break up; and have worse relationships with their kids. And that's not even getting into the economic benefits of family planning (so much more on all of that here).
Don't know where to begin with all the birth control? Women's Health offers a pretty thorough breakdown of every type, how it works, efficacy rate, and any side effects you should know about — that might be a good place to start.
Oh, and about that gonorrhea... WEAR A CONDOM EVERY TIME UNLESS YOU HAVE BOTH BEEN TESTED AND ARE IN A COMMITTED MONOGAMOUS RELATIONSHIP. Good, great.
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