Celebrate World Sleep Day With Us

Every year before the Spring Vernal Equinox, the World Sleep Society celebrates World Sleep Day, an event that aims to educate people around the globe about the importance of enjoying consistent, quality sleep. This year marks the event’s 14^th anniversary and will be held on Friday, March 19, 2021.

The theme for 2021 is “Regular Sleep, Healthy Future.” The World Sleep Society is focusing, this year, on the many benefits that regular sleep offers. Getting a full night’s rest positively impacts our health, mood, and overall quality of life and may have secondary benefits, such as helping us achieve our academic and professional goals.

Sleep is essential for healthy daily living, but, unfortunately, many people either struggle to get the sleep they need, or they don’t make sleep a priority in their schedules. Recognizing this, 14 years ago, the founders of the World Sleep Society decided to create a space for healthcare providers to work together to help prevent sleep disorders and to shine a light on the importance of sleep.

This year, Regular Sleep, Healthy Future’s primary focus is getting at the heart of self-care, as it relates to sleep. The year 2020 was one of the most challenging years in recent memory. Even with all that divides humanity, getting enough sleep is certainly something everyone can agree on. Getting quality sleep, however, sometimes requires getting a bit of help from the experts.

What Are Sleep Disorders?

Sleep disorders can be caused by a variety of factors, from health problems to stress in your daily life. Sleep disorders can affect your alertness, focus, memory, and your health. Symptoms of a sleep disorder may include excessive moving while sleeping, feeling sleepy throughout the day, or even experiencing abnormal breathing patterns.

Some of the most common sleep disorders are:

• Insomnia – The struggle to begin sleeping and/or sleep for long durations.
• Narcolepsy – Affects the brain’s ability to determine the difference between being awake and being asleep. It shows up as chronic daytime sleepiness and can disrupt executive functioning throughout the day.
• Restless Leg Syndrome – A sensation of discomfort, often described as twitching or having the need to move one’s legs while resting and sleeping.
• Sleep Apnea – A condition where breathing is interrupted and long lapses occur between breaths. This limits the amount of oxygen you receive during the night and the quality of your rest, which can lead to significant health problems.

How Can I Get My Best Night’s Sleep?

Following are a few steps sleep professionals recommend to improve your sleep routine and overall quality of sleep:

1. Use your bed only for sleep. Save work for the office and other recreation for the rest of the house.
2. Avoid alcohol four hours before bed.
3. Have a set bedtime routine with consistently scheduled bedtimes and wake-up times.
4. If you take naps, never go over 45 minutes of sleep during the day.
5. Have no caffeine six hours before bed (chocolate, tea, coffee, etc.).
6. Cut out overly sweet, spicy, or rich foods four hours before bedtime.
7. Exercise as much as possible during the day but schedule it several hours before going to bed.
8. Make sure your bed and the climate in your bedroom are as comfortable as possible and have good ventilation.
9. Mute all distracting noise and limit light as much as possible. White noise machines and blackout curtains are good options.

How Do I Participate in World Sleep Day?

You can participate in the event by:

• Creating an exciting event for others to attend
• Getting the word out to your local community and media outlets
• Delivering informational hand-outs
• Share #WorldSleepDay on social media

It’s an understatement to say that sleep is vital to our well-being. The benefits of achieving quality sleep are numerous, including improved memory, less inflammation, better breathing, and sharper focus, to name a few.

We cannot wait to have you join us on March 19, 2021, to kick off Regular Sleep, Healthy Future.

Contact Silent Night Therapy Today

Do you have concerns about the quality of your sleep? The sleep professionals at Silent Night Therapy can help. We’ll work closely with you to identify the cause of your sleep trouble, whether it’s sleep apnea, general insomnia, or something else. Contact us today at (631) 983-2463 to schedule your appointment.