Achieving a good night's sleep and waking up well-rested and full of energy is one of the keys to success, health, happiness and well-being in general. Often we find ourselves underestimating our sleep needs, it's actually one of the factors that mostly has an effect on how we feel.
Let's think about professional athletes for example: a healthy sleep routine is mandatory and a key element in their preparation because of its huge impact on mental and physical health.
For this very reason, even if we don't compete in professional sports, our sleep wellness and routine should always be on point.
How does sleep affect our mood?
Sleep deprivation not only can make us feel grumpy the morning after a bad night's sleep, researchers actually suggest that sleep deprivation can increase the risk of depression and make our anxiety levels skyrocket very easily.
It is a vicious circle: fears, thoughts and anxiety can keep us awake at night and sometimes counting sheeps it's not enough to fall asleep. This can result in little (or zero) sleep, making our mood and anxiety even worse as www.sleepfoundation.org/ suggests.
How does sleep affect our performance?
Working, studying, training and simply facing our daily tasks can appear like unsurmountable missions when we're tired. This is not just an impression: in fact, the more sleep we lack, the more difficult it is to pay attention and focus. Moreover, sleep deprivation can make us less reactive, putting us at risk for example when we're driving.
Did you know that a study carried out by the National Sleep Foundation showed that actually nearly 1/3 of drivers have already fallen asleep while driving?
Moreover, sleep is extremely important to boost our creativity levels, our cerebral functions, the creation of new ideas, our problem solving skills and innovative thinking. Last but not least, sleeping properly allows our brain to reactivate memories and transform short-term information into long-term.
Common sleep issues
Sleep issues are more common than we think. In fact, according to sleepassociation.org, 50 to 70 million adults experience some kind of sleep disorder, 48.0% reports snoring whereas 37.9% stated that they unintentionally fell asleep at least once during the day in in the preceding month.
How can we sleep better?
Even though some sleep problems require medical assistance to be solved, there are some little adjusments that you might not have thought of that could actually improve your sleep patterns.
1. Keep your natural clock on point
To do so, increase light exposure during the day. By spending more time in natural light, you'll keep your circadian rhythm on the right track, feeling more awake during the day and making your body know when it's actually time to switch off.
According to PubMed Central, bright light helps people who suffer from insomnia improve their sleep quality and reduce the time it takes them to fall asleep by 83%.
2. Get your bedroom temperature right
Sleeping well when the temperature is not right can be very challenging. Hot temperatures can wake us up soaking wet in the middle of the night, cold nights make us shiver and prevent us from falling asleep smoothly.
Studies revealed that increased body and bedroom temperatures can impact negatively sleep quality and increase wakefulness, and that high temperatures affect sleep more than external noises do (healthline.com). It is therefore suggested to keep your bedroom temperature around 20°.
3. Right bedding and right sleepwear
As we spend almost 1/3 of our life in it, we need to make sure that our bed is as comfortable as possible. It might sound obvious but high-quality matresses and pillows can actually improve our sleep quality.
When pillows and mattress are too old they can loose their shape, supporting your back, neck and body in a way that is not optimal for our health.
Bedding is also important and can actually enhance sleep: opt for natural, breathable fabrics that feel good on the skin and don't make you itchy. Last but not least, we should also make sure that the fabric which is in direct contact with our skin is made with smart and high-quality fibres.
That's why it's important not to wear just any sleepwear, but to choose carefully our pajamas.
Choose a sleep attire that isn't too tight and doesn't constrict your body, make sure that it has a fabric composition that doesn't make you sweat but at the same time keeps you warm enough all night long.
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