Getting Serious About Sleep

In my quest to better my mental and physical health, one thing that keeps coming up in my research is the importance of getting good, quality sleep. In all honesty, I love to sleep, so why wouldn’t I spend more time doing it? Apart from it being a favorite activity, sleep is also critical for my health, which is why I'm getting serious about it.

Why is sleep so important?

Well, first of all, being tired is a drag! I for one feel less motivated and have trouble with some cognitive tasks when I'm sleep-deprived. Dr. Matthew Walker, a leading expert in the field of sleep, discusses the essential role that sleep has on functions such as memory and concentration and our immune system. He’s found causal relationships between lack of sleep and all the diseases we face in our developed nation. Meaning, the less sleep we get, the more susceptible we are to disease and early death.

"Human beings are the only species that deliberately deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent gain. Many people walk through their lives in an underslept state, not realizing it." -Dr. Matthew Walker

How much sleep should I be getting?

As one of the pillars of our health, Walker suggests that sleep be a priority and that we strive to get at least 8 hours a night. Even shaving off an hour or two each night could be very detrimental to our health. Studies have found that in countries that observe daylight savings time, every spring (when that population loses 1 hour of sleep), heart attack rates increase by 24%.

What I'm already doing to get a better night's sleep:

1. Taking a bath: I've found that taking an evening bath has been super helpful in relaxing my mind and body. Though it sounds backwards, bathing in warm water actually lowers one's body temperature, which is ideal for sleeping.
2. Avoiding alcohol: I'm not much of a drinker to begin with, so this has been relatively easy for me. I have the occasional drink, but I do keep in mind that alcohol, even though it relaxes you and can have the effect of 'knocking you out,' actually impairs your ability to get quality rest.
3. Turning down the lights: Two hours before bed, I try to use only lamps with low lights while also avoiding screens of any kind. Of course, I do cheat from time to time, and maybe check my phone for tomorrow's weather, but I avoid scrolling or watching television before bed as much as I can.

You can check out Dr. Walker's work, including his other tips for improving the quality of your sleep. So far, by adding these three things into my routine, I've already noticed an improvement in falling asleep and staying asleep.