The prescription we forget to write
Our bodies were never designed to function without rest. A recent study looking at sleep and biological aging found that the ideal length of sleep is approximately 6.4 to 7.8 hours each night.
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Our bodies were never designed to function without rest. A recent study looking at sleep and biological aging found that the ideal length of sleep is approximately 6.4 to 7.8 hours each night.
THE foundation of wellness is often built through habits that support both body and mind.
PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of vitaly gariev/unsplash
SLEEP provides a necessary pause that allows the mind and body to recharge.
PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of iam OS/unsplash
In the clinic, a prescription often marks the end of a visit.
After listening to a patient’s story, doing the examination, reviewing the laboratory results and explaining the plan, we eventually reach for that familiar piece of paper or type out an electronic prescription. We write down the medication, the dose and the instructions.
For many patients, that prescription represents the solution. It is something concrete they can hold in their hands. It reassures them that something is being done.
And there is good reason for this. Medicines have significantly changed the course of healthcare. They allow people with diabetes, heart disease, infections and many other conditions to live longer and better lives.
But over the years, I have also realized that some of the most important prescriptions I give my patients are the ones I never actually write down. They do not come in tablets or injections. They have no brand names. They cannot be bought, delivered, or stored in a medicine cabinet.
They are the everyday choices that quietly shape our health.
One of the questions I have learned to ask more often is, “How are you sleeping?.” It sounds simple, almost like small talk. But sleep affects almost every system we try to protect as doctors — metabolism, hormones, immunity, memory, mood and even how the body repairs itself.
For a long time, many of us treated sleep as something we could sacrifice. We stay awake longer to finish more work, answer more messages, or take care of everyone else before ourselves. Somewhere along the way, being tired became a badge of honor.
But our bodies were never designed to function without rest. A recent study looking at sleep and biological aging found that the ideal length of sleep is approximately 6.4 to 7.8 hours each night. Both shorter and longer sleep durations were associated with signs of accelerated aging.
There are many factors that contribute to how fast we age, and we are not machines that simply require the same amount of charging every night. But this study is a reminder that sleep is not wasted time. It is part of the work our body needs to do to keep us well.
The same is true for another “prescription” that many of us have forgotten — stepping outside. In our modern world, we can spend an entire day moving from one enclosed space to another. From the bedroom, to the car, to the office, and back again. One can go through a whole week looking at screens more than looking at the sky or feeling the sun on your face.
There is something restorative about being around nature. A morning walk. Sunlight through the trees. A few quiet minutes away from constant notifications. When you are feeling stressed or upset, a character in a recent animated movie about humans, wildlife and nature said, “It’s hard to be mad when you feel like you’re part of something big,” and that is the big, wide world out there.
And perhaps the most overlooked prescription of all is human connection. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is not to add something new to our lives, but to return to something we have slowly lost.
We have become immersed in the digital world, where we no longer communicate in person but through text messages, by sharing reels and memes. Healing and well-being do not just come from medications. Patients feel better after being with family and friends, and they heal better when they feel supported, understood and cared for.
Medicines will always remain one of the greatest achievements of science. But perhaps we should remember the prescriptions that existed long before pharmacies did. So maybe during check-ups, apart from asking about medications and symptoms, physicians should also ask, “Are you getting enough rest? Are you spending time outdoors? Do you have a good support system?”
Because sometimes the simplest prescriptions are the ones we need to remember most.
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