However, sleep is just as crucial for health as nutrition and exercise. Sleep improves cognitive performance, emotions, and overall health.
Not obtaining enough quality sleep on a regular basis increases the risk of a variety of diseases and disorders. These range from heart disease and stroke to obesity and dementia.
There is more to excellent sleep than the number of hours spent in bed, says Dr. Marishka Brown, a sleep expert at NIH. “Healthy sleep encompasses three major things. One is how much sleep you get. Another is sleep quality—that you get uninterrupted and refreshing sleep. The last is a consistent sleep schedule.”
People who work the night shift or have erratic schedules may find it difficult to get enough sleep. And times of extreme stress, such as the present pandemic, can disturb our usual sleeping patterns.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, "excellent" sleep quality is defined as falling asleep within 30 minutes and remaining asleep throughout the night with no more than one mid-sleep waking and being able to fall back asleep within 20 minutes of waking up
Sleep is well-known to be crucial to our physical and mental health. Despite this, a disturbing amount of people are consistently deprived of decent sleep and are noticeably drowsy during the day.
Many people may find it difficult to implement all of these strategies. But keep in mind that it's not all or nothing; you may begin with little modifications and gradually progress toward improved sleep habits, commonly known as sleep hygiene.
We've divided these sleep hygiene improvements into four categories to make them more approachable:
- Creating a Sleep-Inducing Bedroom
- Optimising Your Sleep Schedule
- Crafting a Pre-Bedtime Routine
- Fostering Pro-Sleep Habits During the Day
If you're struggling with a good night sleep book online for a pillow and sleep consultation so we can help you improve the quality of your sleep.