Better Sleep Month

Now, more than ever, it seems that culture is at odds with the concept of getting enough sleep. After all, there is always something to do or watch, even in the middle of the night. And the fear of missing out is real!

As doctors and scientists continue to discover the intricate connection between proper sleep and health, recognizing that sleep is as important as diet and exercise, it just makes sense that the topic is regularly brought into the public eye. Better Sleep Month makes a point of raising awareness about the fact that people simply need better sleep to live happy and healthy lives!

History of Better Sleep Month

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that an adult gets at least 7 hours of sleep a night, but even that isn’t enough for many people. School aged children and teens need even more–around 8-12 hours. Because lack of sleep can lead to not only a grumpy mood but also health problems such as obesity and heart problems, it’s necessary that people make space to get enough sleep at night.

Better Sleep Month was introduced by the Better Sleep Council (BSC) with the purpose of encouraging individuals to live better lives by getting better sleep. The Better Sleep Council is a nonprofit organization in the United States that was organized in 1978 to promote consumer education around the relationship between sleep and health.

Promoting the idea that sleep is a necessity and not a luxury, Better Sleep Month offers communities, health care providers, and sleep product manufacturers an opportunity to make a month-long campaign for people to focus on sleeping better. Because if all of the people could get better sleep, it’s likely that the world would be a better place for everyone!

How to Celebrate Better Sleep Month

Show some appreciation for those 6,7, or 8 hours a night that are dedicated to sleeping! Get involved with celebrating Better Sleep Month by implementing some of these ideas:

Get a New Mattress

One of the reasons that some people aren’t getting better sleep may have to do with the quality and age of their mattress. In honor of Better Sleep Month, it might be a good idea to consider whether it is time to get a new mattress. Some of the reasons people should consider it is if their mattress is sagging, if it makes a lot of noise when getting in and out of it, if one of the people sleeping on it wakes up in pain, or if the mattress is over eight years old.

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

While anyone who isn’t sleeping well is probably interested in getting better sleep, sometimes it can be difficult to know what to do. This is especially true when a person is not sleeping well, so they are tired and perhaps fall into bad habits and unhealthy routines!

Better Sleep Month is here to encourage healthy sleep habits and practices. One of the important things to know about better sleep is that, while there are no guarantees, there are many perfectly natural actions that can be taken that can help people create habits to get better sleep every night.

Some of these practical suggestions for proper sleep hygiene include:

• Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Establishing a circadian rhythm is extremely helpful in ‘training’ the body regarding when it is time to sleep and when it is time to be awake.
• Keep the room dark and cool. Bodies sleep better in a cool room, about 65 degrees F, so turn the thermostat down. And if the room has light sources, consider room darkening blinds or a sleep mask.
• Remove electronic devices from the bedroom, including televisions, computers, and even smart phones. If a smartphone doubles as an alarm, it’s ideal to get an actual clock, or put the phone somewhere across the room and away from the bed.
• Practice healthy diet and exercise. Tired bodies sleep better, so regular exercise can help with sleep. Also avoiding alcohol, caffeine and large meals in the second half of the day can be beneficial for sleeping well.

Check with a Doctor

Those who struggle to get a healthy amount of quality sleep on a regular basis may have insomnia and should consider consulting with a medical professional. This is especially important for those folks who have medical conditions related to sleep, including sleep apnea. Because sleep is such a vital part of people’s lives and health, it’s important to take it seriously and get a doctor involved if needed!

Looking for other times throughout the year to honor and celebrate the beauty of sleep? Check out these other days and events that offer an ideal opportunity to keep sleep in the forefront of your mind all the year through, including World Sleep Day in March, Festival of Sleep Day in January and National Public Sleeping Day in February.