World Sleep Day was first celebrated in 2008 by the World Sleep Society to raise awareness about the importance of sleeping to health and society. This 2021, the celebration's theme is 'Regular Sleep, Healthy Future.'
Since not everyone can get a good night's sleep, here are some ways that anyone can do during the daytime to improve their sleep every night, according to The Telegraph.
Improving the Good Night's Sleep
Get A Flash of Light To Your Eyes As Soon As Possible
The body is influenced by its circadian rhythm to be awake or to sleep. Getting a flash of light into the eyes as soon as possible tells the cells at the back of the eyes connected with the circadian rhythm that the body is now ready to wake up. If ever you wake up before dawn, switch on bright lights.
Leave Your Bedroom During the Day
Leave your bedroom during the daytime as the brains build associations between places and activities. According to experts, the brain associates bedrooms with sleeping, and avoiding work on the bed is one key teaching of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia.
Go Outside and Have Your Last Coffee At Midday
Spending at least 20 minutes outdoors is also helpful, according to sleep physiologist Dr. Guy Meadows, the co-founder of the Sleep School training program.
In addition, have your last cup of coffee at around midday because caffeine has a half-life of six hours and a quarter-life of 12 hours. That means the body will still have caffeine in its system at midnight if the person drinks coffee at noon.
Take a Break in the Middle of the Day and Exercise
Dr. Neil Stanley said that taking a break in the middle of the day could reduce stress levels, which means the mind will be racing less at night.
Moreover, exercising regularly could also aid a person in sleeping faster for longer periods as it lowers stress hormones and boosts endorphins that calm the mind by bedtime.
Eat Dinner Two to Four Hours Before Bedtime
Have your dinner at least two to four hours before bedtime to avoid raising body temperature, said Dr. Meadows. Also, limiting the window in which a person eats could help train the body clock to know when to sleep. Drinking a glass of wine or alcoholic beverages also is a big factor, so finishing it a couple of hours before bedtime could also help.
Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep
One of the health benefits of getting enough amount of sleep is preventing serious illness. Most of the body functions slow down at night during sleep, and disrupting it could lead to many major health issues.
Additionally, getting enough sleep could help in weight management. According to News18, loss of sleep hampers glucose tolerance and insulin insensitivity.
Moreover, sleep helps the body and mind relax and restores its natural rhythms, and helps bring more focus and clarity to one's work the next day to prevent causing any accidents due to sleeplessness.
Lastly, getting enough sleep improves relationships with the people around them. Staying up all night could also be harmful to the people around a person as it affects the quality of the relationship.
Check out more news and information on Sleeping on Science Times.
