World Sleep Day. Regular sleep: Healthy Future
Friday 19th March is World Sleep Day and this year the theme is ‘Regular Sleep: Healthy Future’ . Today also sees the launch of the The British Sleep Society’s strategic plan with an overarching ambition to support and promote ‘Healthy Sleep for All’
The aim of both is to raise awareness about the importance of sleep for achieving an optimal quality of life.
Sleep is as important for health as eating well and getting plenty of exercise — yet it is often ignored when thinking about health.
Concentration and the ability to learn can be negatively affected by lack of sleep. However, establishing a regular sleep routine, it will enable the whole family to sleep better, perform better at school and work, and be happier and healthier as a result. What’s not to enjoy? However, it is not always easy to get a good night’s sleep; and it is increasingly clear that the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown has had a detrimental impact on sleep health for many. Changes working patterns, physical activity, having of children out of school, and overall increases in stress can are just a few ways in which the pandemic has affected our sleep and in turn our health and wellbeing.
So, how can we improve sleep for adults and children?
My top three tips are:
1.Establish a really good bedtime routine in the ‘golden hour’ leading up to bed with your child (and for yourself!) and stick to it. Regular routines help us associate bedtime with sleep and stimulate the body’s sleep hormone (melatonin) naturally
2. Turn off all tech and devices at least an hour before bedtime. When light levels drop in the evening, our circadian timer switches on and stimulates the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. The use of phones and other technology before bed disrupts this natural process. Screens on phones and tablets emit blue light which suppress the production of melatonin from the brain’s pineal gland and stimulate the production of the chemical dopamine which makes us feel alert and ‘switched on’.
3. Try to get outdoors for an hour or two during daylight hours. Some fresh air and exercise will help to tire out those children who struggle to get sleep, and help adults sleep better too. The exposure to natural daylight during the winter is also important to help reset our body clocks and improve feelings of wellbeing.
Dr Anna Weighall is a Developmental Psychologist at the University of Sheffield and Member of the British Sleep Society (Executive committee)
@drannaweighall
Further information:
https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-to-get-to-sleep/
