It’s the activity that most of us adore, but can never seem to get enough of: sleep!
Today is World Sleep Day, which means we’re celebrating this amazing activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of three Americans simply don’t sleep enough.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that people should sleep for about seven hours, but many of us barely get that! We’ve heard for our whole lives that sleeping for the proper amount of time contributes to better health.
Essentially, sleeping for at least seven hours each night makes you an overall healthier person. From promoting better heart health to decreasing the chances for many chronic conditions, sleeping is an important variable in a perfect-health equation.
World Sleep Day was created by its founders, the World Sleep Society, to promote the vital role that sleep plays in human physical and mental health. This holiday’s slogan is, “Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World.”
Our society has made a population of insomniacs, possibly perpetuated by the culprit cellphones and readily available 24-hour entertainment like social media and streaming platforms.
“Conversely, lack of sleep or poor sleep quality is known to have a significant negative impact on health — affecting attention, memory, learning, obesity, diabetes, weakened immune systems and other health problems,” The World Sleep Society said in a press release.
And many of us have felt it before. Maybe it was partaking in a night out before work or school. But we’ve all experienced the heavy eyes, the brain fog and the “twilight zone” feeling that comes with sleep deprivation. Many of us just can’t sleep well for a wide variety of reasons.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, the most common suspects for sleep deprivation are lifestyle choices, medical conditions, work obligations and poor sleep hygiene, which is essentially another word for saying “your bedtime routine.”
We want to make sure that you’re sleeping enough. And we feel that it’s important to celebrate this day by partaking in its namesake. Here are seven tips to help construct better and more restful sleeping patterns.
6) Keep your bedding fresh and clean
Many of us already do this step. However, there’s another reason to keep your sheets and pillowcases clean.
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Cleaning our sheets and pillowcases at least once every two weeks can help promote better sleep. A poll from the National Sleep Foundation found that people are more excited to sleep when they have “fresher” scented sheets and pillowcases.
3) Associate Your Bed For Only Bedtime Activities
Completing homework or work-associated tasks in your bed can actually have a negative impact on your sleep cycle.
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According to Emma McAdam, a licensed marriage and family therapist, your brain will start to associate your bed with “alertness” rather than sleep. So it’s vital to save your bed for only “bedtime” activities that promote sleepiness and relaxation rather than energetic activity.
