Naseerah Nanabhai

27-10-2020

A good night’s sleep is essential for mental and physical health. A lack of adequate sleep leads to decreased cognitive abilities, can weaken focus and cause irritability. Not only do we require an adequate number of hours but also optimized sleep during those hours.

Some common and well-known factors that cause a lack of sleep or reduce the quality of sleep, include stress, anxiety, depression, noise, breathing difficulties, an uncomfortable bed or lack of exercise. The ongoing pandemic hasn’t made this any better, with studies showing that it has contributed towards higher levels of anxiety, changes in daily routines, decreased sunlight exposure, increase reliance on digital media and reduced physical activity all of which have negative implications for sleep quality.

Some tips for better sleep include:

• Add Sunlight Every Day to Your Routine- It has been proven that at least two hours of bright light a day can help increase your energy and sleep at night.
• Reduce caffeine- It’s best to drink caffeine in the morning and avoid it later in the day or at night to ensure restful sleep.
• Get regular exercise- At least thirty minutes of exercise a day can enhance hormones and lead to a peaceful sleep.
• Have a routine- Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, including weekends to help fall asleep easier.
• Reduce blue light- This means using less digital devices before bedtime. These cause your body to think it is daylight and often keeps you from sleeping.

Practising and maintaining habits for optimized, quality sleep is essential in increasing productivity, alertness and mental wellbeing. Great sleep is one of the pillars of health, you cannot achieve good health without taking care of your sleep.