World Sleep Day – Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World

There’s nothing more important than sleep. There, we said it. Sleep allows your body to heal from the day’s stresses. Sleep enables you to grow and develop into a healthy human being. Sleep is absolutely essential to a long and fulfilling life. 18 March is World Sleep Day and we at Rawbought are (obviously) huge advocates for a good night’s sleep. This year’s theme is Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World. Making sleep a priority in your life will make you healthier and happier citizen of the world! We break down how you can start making your dreams come true, one good snooze at a time.

Be consistent

As with any habit, the key to success is consistency. Waking up and going to bed at roughly the same time every day is the first step and most important step towards getting quality sleep. Get your body used to a bed-time. Your body will learn to wind down by itself and get you the deep, restorative sleep you need to feel adequately rested. When you’re asleep, your mind starts to do its own housekeeping, filing away memories, processing emotions etc.

 If you’re one that falls asleep scrolling through your phone or watching TV, you might struggle with this step. Setting up and sticking to a simple bed-time ritual is an easy way to break your habit of revenge sleep procrastination. It signals both your body and mind to get ready for sleep, and also serves as a time for you to reflect and pay attention to yourself.

Listen to your body

Paying attention to yourself isn’t all about skincare and spa massages. It is also about recognising the signs of burnout, your reactions to stresses in your daily life and the changes in your body, whether they’re good or bad. When you’re up-to-date with how you’re doing both physically and mentally, it’s easier for you to spot unusual behaviours. For example, if you’ve been waking up tired even after a long night’s sleep, it might be a sign of hidden health conditions that need to be checked out.

Practise good habits

Strengthening your mind and body to face the stresses of daily life is the best way to achieve quality sleep, and vice versa. Practise good habits such as eating healthy, getting regular exercise that ensure physical health, as well as mindfulness and meditation, that help you improve your mental health.

Practising good sleep hygiene also ensures that you are getting quality sleep that leaves you refreshed the next day. Ideal sleep habits include avoiding caffeine and spicy food a few hours before bed-time. Putting down your phone and other electronic devices at least an hour before you head to bed is one of the hardest habits to follow, but it does wonders for your quality of sleep. Alcohol before bed is also best to be avoided, contrary to popular belief. While it might help you fall asleep faster, it can reduce the quality of sleep and cause you to wake up during the night.

Create a good sleep environment

As part of practising good sleep hygiene, your sleep environment needs to be optimised for a good night’s sleep. From the colour of your walls to your bed-time wardrobe, the quality of your sleep can be affected by many elements in your sleep environment. Here’s how you can design your bedroom to ensure that all the elements work together to ensure that you get the best quality sleep every night.

Everyone is built different; there’s no one “right” way to sleep right, though there definitely can be wrong ways. Ensure that you’re sleeping the right way for YOU, that suits your preferences. Sleeping, while literally the most natural thing to do, can take some learning and unlearning for you to get it “right”. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip off the wagon, just take it in your stride and get back on as soon as you can. Happy World Sleep Day, and sweet dreams!