Take care of your sleep

According to an Irish proverb “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything”.

While most people know the importance of diet and exercise for a better health, sleep is often overlooked. A good night’s sleep is a must to get the maximum out of life. It is important for both our physical and mental well-being and hence essential for our productivity. 

Currently there is no precise way of measuring the degree and kind of cell damage caused by sleep deprivation, but research points to increasing evidence that getting too little sleep in the long terms can be detrimental for our wellbeing. 

The way our lifestyles have transformed over the past 20 to 25 years with our ever-increasing reliance on digital devices and constant need for being connected every second of our waking lives; we have burdened ourselves with extra stress than is necessary and healthy for us. All these distractions and stresses interfere greatly with our ability to enjoy and keep a healthy sleep routine. And hence requires a greater effort from us to take care of ourselves and quality sleep helps build a sound foundation for us to remain healthy and productive. Sleep helps us repair and rejuvenate and builds the foundation for our productive days. Its importance must not be ignored and devoting a third of our lifespan to it should be cherished and made worthwhile.

In most cases, we can easily improve the quality of our sleep by minor tweaks to our lifestyle habits and implementing some bedtime rituals. 

Although, some of the following suggestions for building a healthier bedtime routine work more effectively for some than others due to our bio-individuality but many studies have shown that these work for majority of us:

• Avoid caffeine (especially a high dose mostly found in coffee) 4 to 6 hours before bedtime
• Avoid eating a heavy meal (especially extra salty or fried) 2 to 3 hours before bedtime
• Minimise screen time (to limit blue light exposure) 1 to 2 hours before bedtime
• Reduce overall light exposure 2-3 hours before bedtime. Best to dim the lights around your home and especially in the bedroom

Additionally, quality of sleep can be improved by creating a calming sleep environment to help us unwind properly for a perfect night’s sleep and wake up rested, restored and refreshed to be the best version of ourselves.

So here are some tips to creating the ultimate sleep environment:

• Adjust temperature of your bedroom to 70 degrees Fahrenheit
• Use blackout curtains in your bedroom to keep early morning light from seeping in and waking you up earlier than usual. Its best to also cover any infrared lights from electronic devices (tv, alarm clock etc) as these can also greatly interfere with your sleep and wake you up unnecessarily
• Use the most comfortable bedding (should be right for how you sleep – hot or cold). Comfortable and suitable bedding can create a soft and cozy feel that helps regulate your body temperature. Your choice of colors also help you feel calm at bedtime
• Hot sleepers should ideally use light, breathable and cooling sheets especially made from natural materials like 100% Cotton; our Everyday Percale is excellent for hot sleepers
• Average to cold sleepers can use medium to higher thread count sheets like our Classic Percale or Cozy Flannel Sheets; its best to use natural materials like 100% Cotton as this also helps maintain good hygiene

Overall, a healthy diet, exercise and a good night's sleep are among the best ways to improving our wellbeing. Therefore, we must do more to understand how these three are intertwined and how small changes in our lifestyle can go a long way in enhancing our quality of life.