The benefits of a good night’s sleep are significant. Eight hours of sleep each night will keep you healthy and help you wake up in a good mood, maintain focus, and have a clear mind for a productive day. Conversely, someone who has poor sleeping habits can have negative consequences. There are a number of tips and tricks people use to get a better night’s sleep.
One helpful tip is to mentally prepare yourself for sleep by refraining from any strenuous or stressful activities for about an hour before heading to bed. Reading a book or meditating are great pre-sleep activities.
A common practice that interferes with sleep is looking at our phones, checking emails, texts and catching up on social media. While you’re looking at the constant stream of information available on a phone, your mind remains fully engaged. When your brain is stimulated it’s harder to fall asleep and you’ll wind up staying awake longer. It’s best to refrain from checking your phone for at least an hour before you are planning to go to sleep.
Phones also emit blue light that can hinder your body’s ability to fall asleep by suppressing the body’s release of melatonin, a hormone that controls our sleep and wake cycles. When your body runs low on melatonin you can experience insomnia at night and irritability throughout the day. The blue light from a phone imitates the daylight. By staring into it, your brain will be tricked into staying more alert and active. This can throw off your internal clock and lead to a restless night and a feeling of tiredness throughout the day.
The distraction from your phone can also disrupt your REM sleep. No matter what you’re looking at, you are bound to experience an emotional response. Whether it’s happiness, anger, curiosity or confusion, these emotions can all make it more difficult to fall asleep.
Lack of sleep can have many consequences. Poor sleeping schedules can lead to health issues, weight gain, anxiety and trouble focusing. If you fail to get an adequate night of sleep, you will feel it the next day. You may grow sluggish and struggle to concentrate at work or school. You also might grow more irritable and become annoyed at the most minor of instances. If you’re driving while tired, the consequences can be devastating. Proper sleep is imperative for safety and productivity while working. Consider putting your phone across the room or in another room completely to avoid temptation.
While putting the phone down an hour before you sleep can lead to a relaxing night’s sleep, we also recommend upgrading your mattress to one of our certified organic mattresses for healthier nontoxic sleep.
