Did you know that there are 3 billion people on Earth? That is approximately 60 million adults living on this planet and only 20% of them sleep? This means that one-third of the world’s population goes to bed hungry every night. But how sad it is to find out about such a fact, and the reasons why sleep can be so difficult to access. One important reason may be due to lack of time, this article will discuss, and how you can improve your sleep better.
How Much Sleep Do You Get Daily?
Sleep quality is very dependent on what amount of sleep you get each night, and there’s no set amount you need to get to have overall better sleep than someone who gets just 2-3 hours a night. So let’s say if we compare two guys who went to college together from age 18-19 with the same average weight, height, and fitness level, one guy got 2-3 hours of sleep a day while the other guy went to school on weekends for 6-8 hours per night. If his diet was similar to his friend's, he would probably get the same amount of sleep as him too, but if he had less stress than him, the body would adapt better to resting on the bed. It is a proven fact that sleep helps repair cells and promotes growth. But it didn’t get to people till they were teenagers and it takes several years before getting those sleep cycles when compared to others, which is also related to their work schedule and social interactions.
In general, the best sleep is the one we want to experience all the time because it works in our favor when we fight with something, which we want to avoid but most of the time we do, even though it is not a major danger, we end up doing it. But we sleep when we’re tired, so sometimes after working long hours at work, our body will go to sleep when it needs to be rested, and a nap is recommended sometimes. Some people don’t have a good attitude to sleep, I know my bad attitude when it comes to sleeping and I have a hard time staying asleep.
But it is okay to have a few sleepless nights after some stressful events that happened like a big exam or a messy job. We often confuse anxiety with fear, which can cause us to struggle with sleeping, so having a little bit of that anxiety can happen at times and make us feel restless throughout the night.
In addition, it is quite common that insomnia and depression can be a result of anxiety.
How Does Insomnia Benefit Your Overall Health?
Sleep benefits are many and varied from being able to sleep well to making you less stressed and making the person you know better when facing difficult tasks, like going to an interview, better at work, being more productive, and much more.
When our bodies go into sleep, we experience changes, and the brain releases chemical compounds that help keep the mind active and alert. When we wake up, this activates us again. This also can lead to positive mental health effects, for example, it can be used to create new memories, or help you relax from stressful situations. There are also physical benefits that come with being able to sleep soundly, like a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and increased energy and stamina. While the benefits of sleep aren’t universal, there are lots of studies that show that sleeping well helps you manage depression and anxiety.
But when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, multiple benefits come with sleeping well. When we are more rested, we better handle more stress, which leads to better emotional balance, better decision making, and higher engagement in life. And since more sleep can make us happier, there is also a possibility for improved mood and less stress, which could decrease depression and increase happiness levels.
The secret to better sleep hygiene is to follow these three rules and stay consistent with your routine. These include;
1) Set your alarm earlier than usual.
2) Use light blocks.
3) Add a fresh shower every day.
Set Your Alarm Earlier Than The Norm
It’s always best to set your alarm earlier than usual and try to start it a couple of hours before you’d typically wake up in the morning. This isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the key components in achieving the ideal work-life balance. Studies have shown that when you give yourself enough time before the alarm goes off, you tend to fall asleep naturally sooner than if you set for later, which helps with proper sleep timing. So if you want to be good at waking up early, you can start by setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier than usual and go through your routine once you get up. By doing this every week, you’ve started adapting your sleep routine more to your life.
Use Light Blocks As Well
This one might not seem so obvious, but it can benefit sleep when you use light blocks on your bedroom wall or bedside table. For instance, placing two light bulbs on either side of your bedside table in front of your eyes helps shut down your natural sleep cycle, creating a feeling of relaxedness rather than anxiousness. The same effect happens by putting the light switches next to your bed and using bright colors on your bedside table.
While many people think that you have to use artificial light blocks, you don’t need to, because you already have them. Many modern furniture designs allow for adjustable lights that take your place, like the ones found in the following brand: Ikea
The first thing you want to ensure is to have a soft surface at nighttime because the cushions you use do not offer adequate support for anyone who has a busy work routine. Then you can add more light to your bed, including a large window, as it allows the blue light to penetrate deeper into your skin, helping you fall asleep faster.
Add A Fresh Shower Every Day
The last tip that is beneficial to your overall night, is adding a cool shower every day when you wake up. Research says that bathing yourself every day improves your sleep hygiene, because water is dehydrating, and it causes muscles to relax and regulate. Watermelon is a great way to promote a bath or shower. Just soak your feet in warm water and then turn on the shower or bathtub, and watch your body relieve itself. You might wish to add hot baths to your evenings as well, so that your skin is more easily washed, helping your body to get ready for sleep fast.
A Quick Comparison Chart That Compares Two Guys Who Got Almost 1/3 Of An Hour Sleep Each Night
As we mentioned previously, I want this whole chart to highlight three main points that are essential to improve your sleep hygiene. Let’s look at that chart to see why.
1. Wake Up Before 9 PM
As stated previously, we’ve discussed that it’s important to get up early so that our body knows when it needs rest so to say. Waking up around 8 pm depends on your energy level and your sleep schedule. Most people find out their natural rhythms the moment they step foot outside his door, and it doesn’t matter how much you sleep before that.
If you usually wake up at 9:00 am and still have trouble falling asleep, you can try to set it 8:00 am and do your routine, but remember that you can always change your alarm if you’re so inclined and you’ll likely gain a more optimal sleep by doing this every day.
2. Don’t Stress Yourself Out
We all love stress and if it makes us feel angry, disappointed, angry, resentful, etc., it is our response to stress and other negative emotions but it’s especially dangerous to overdo it to get that stress cleared away. This can mess up our sleep habits. Make sure that when you’re stressed, you do your best to clear your mind. Try leaving your phone and computer screens to sleep and taking a walk that lets you detach from anything else that’s stressing you out because that will release those negative thoughts and emotions like never before.
3. Have A Naps
We have discussed why it’s so important to take naps throughout the day, so here we’re focusing on how naps can affect your sleep cycles. Although there are plenty of ways to get a nap, I prefer sleeping on your back, in a slumbery position, and snoring. Snoring releases melatonin and dopamine which calms your nervous system relieves your sleepiness and aids the process of sleep. Naps are an easy and quick way to get some deep sleep and some energizing energy, which, in turn, keeps your body functioning at its full ability, allowing you to sleep well and stay awake during the day’s tasks. Also, since it’s been scientifically proven that naps improve both daytime sleep patterns and melatonin levels, it’s safe to assume that it would have a lot of positive impacts on your sleep hygiene.
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