If you have found yourself struggling with your ability to sleep soundly since the start of Lockdowns and Quarantines, rest assured you are not the only one (pun intended).
Humans do an exceptional job of maintaining habits and schedules. So when this is disrupted due to circumstances out of our control (such as a global pandemic), our sleep schedules and patterns are also thrown out of whack.
Loss of sleep can effect our bodies and minds in so many ways that most people don't even realise. Some experts argue that getting enough sleep is even more valuable to your personal health than following a strict diet or workout regime. On 'Mental Health Irelands' website they state that getting between 7-9 hours sleep daily helps us:
Mind our mental and physical health
Cope better and regulate our emotions
Concentrate and Motivate ourselves
We would like to provide you with some of the best tips, tricks and resources out there for getting better sleep, heres what we found.
Sleep Hygiene
Have you ever heard of the term 'Sleep Hygiene'? This refers to good sleeping habits that will in turn provide you with a strong and consistent sleep schedule, and it's something we need to pay close attention to. We can gain strong Sleep Hygiene by surrounding ourselves with both positive bedroom environments and daily routines. Here is a short TED Talk on Sleep hygiene and how valuable it is:
Schedules and Routines
The sleepfoundation.org listed their top tips on how to obtain strong Sleep Hygiene and in-turn set yourself up for the best possible sleep every night. Setting up a sleep schedule is one way to 'normalise sleep as an essential part of your day'. This includes trying to wake up and go asleep roughly at the same time everyday (within reason), avoid sleeping in on weekends and limit daily naps to 15-20 minutes during the afternoon.
Build up and solidify your nightly routine. Keep this routine consistent whether that be brushing your teeth or putting on your bedtime clothes at the same time, to give your mind and body a heads up you are about to hit the hay. Give yourself at least 30 minutes of wind down time away from screens before you turn your head over, this could consist of some reading, calm music or relaxation exercises.
Heres a couple of Apps that can help you start to build your Sleep schedules and routines: