winter sleep Archives - Better Sleep Council | Start every day with a good night’s sleep

Sleep off the Stress of 2020

Josh Farmer — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 18:12:22 +0000

The events of 2020 have upended schedules, changed the way we work, kept us at home and turned us into toilet paper hoarders – all of these new stressors are affecting our sleep. Luckily, we’ve learned a lot this past year and have a few ideas on how you can sleep off the stress of 2020 and head into 2021 well-rested.

The Best at Sleeping the Worst

In 2019, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) launched The State of America’s Sleep, an annual survey measuring sleep quality in the U.S. By January 2020, research showed that sleep quality had declined compared to last year.

Fewer Americans were getting the minimum recommended 7-8 hours of sleep per night (54% in January 2020 vs. 60% in 2019). America’s stress levels increased, more Americans felt financially strapped, and fewer used coping mechanisms to deal with stress.

And then, in March, things got worse. Much worse. COVID-19 reached the U.S.

COVID-19 vs. Sleep

During the early days of the pandemic, BSC fielded a follow-up survey to see how exactly coronavirus had changed the way Americans sleep. Spoiler alert: It’s not good news.

As of March 2020, the number of Americans getting the minimum recommended hours of sleep declined even more (54% in January 2020 vs. 49% in March 2020).
Fewer Americans woke up feeling rested and refreshed often or frequently (30% in January 2020 vs. 24% in March 2020).
More Americans described their sleep as poor or fair (43% in January 2020 vs. 52% in March 2020).
All of the sleep issues that COVID-19 amplified have also led to a significant increase in negative mentions about sleep on social media (up 62% from last March).

So, what does all this mean for you? What can you do to get through the rest of 2020, and 2021, with as little stress and as much restful sleep as possible? Here are three key themes to keep in mind:

Routine, Routine, Routine

While the world may seem a bit unhinged right now, you can create a sense of normalcy in your day-to-day by creating new routines – especially for sleep.

Certified Sleep Educator Terry Cralle suggests that the pandemic has allowed us to reevaluate our sleep schedules. “Before the lockdown, many children, as well as adults, were overscheduled. We traded sleep hours for long commutes, work, social events and more. For some of us, there are now fewer excuses not to get the sleep our minds and bodies require.”

Set up a sleep schedule for yourself and be consistent with it. At least an hour or two before you turn in, turn off electronics such as your phone, computer and TV. Before bed, practice yoga, drink some warm tea, or do anything that relaxes you and gets you in the mood for sleep – your pre-bed ritual is the foreplay to a restful night.

Self-Care Your Way to Better Sleep

Ever heard of the phrase “Treat Yourself”? 2020 is the time to start doing that.

You may have saved some money this holiday season on travel, food and buying gifts due to COVID restrictions. Why not spend your holiday fund on improving your sleep environment? Invest in a new mattress, buy blackout curtains or a sleep mask, and celebrate the holidays with sleep.

Self-care isn’t just buying yourself gifts – it’s about establishing a healthy mental and emotional lifestyle too.

Add a Method to Fight the Stress Madness

Trying to manage your different stressors can seem almost impossible during a year like this. Not only are we fighting through a pandemic, but we just finished a hotly contested presidential election season. Election Stress Disorder (or ESD) is real and affects people on both sides of the political aisle.

Thankfully, there are just as many de-stressing options out there as there are things to stress over.

For instance, the philosophy of feng shui aids in creating a balance within your home and promotes a positive, stressless environment – perfect to cancel out the negative energy from back-to-back, work-from-home Zoom meetings.

Or, if financial stress is keeping you up, you can schedule time in the day to focus on your finances – to avoid having the issues keep you awake at bedtime. There are also nonprofit groups that offer free financial help through these stressful times.

Find the cause of your stress and then find a specific de-stressing method for whatever is keeping you up.

This year has piled on heaps of stress in our lives, but you can combat it and get back on the right track to Snoozeville. Set new routines, practice self-care and find specific de-stressing methods so you can get some better sleep through the end of 2020 and beyond.

The stress of 2020 may be affecting your sleep more than you think. Discover how to sleep better with help from @BetterSleepOrg.

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This blog provides general information about sleep and sleep products. The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified heath care professional. This blog should not be construed as medical advice or used to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately-licensed physician or other health care professional. This blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and should not be relied upon to make decisions about your health or the health of others. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog or elsewhere on bettersleep.org. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.

How More Sleep Helps You Save Money

Josh Farmer — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 21:04:41 +0000

Looking for a better night’s rest? Try stuffing some money under your mattress.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Propping up an old, sagging mattress with stacks of Washingtons, Jacksons or Benjamins won’t improve your sleep. (It’ll just make for a lumpy bed.) But our research does indicate that saving up so you have some cash reserves in your piggy bank at the end of the day will likely lead to more restful nights.

How Financial Stress Becomes Sleep Stress

Cortisol is known as the stress hormone because our brains signal our adrenal glands to release it whenever we encounter a perceived threat. In a natural daily rhythm, our bodies have the lowest cortisol levels around midnight – coinciding with the time most of us have wound down from the day and retreated to the safe, relaxing confines of our bedrooms for some shut-eye.

But finding bills in the mail when you get home from work or learning that your son needs money for a scouting trip next week can spike your cortisol right when it’s supposed to be declining. You guessed it: a high cortisone level disrupts sleep.

Good Savers Are Better Sleepers

It appears that the mere act of saving can help maximize quality of sleep.

Of the 2,000 people we polled in the State of America’s Sleep survey, one-third qualified as excellent sleepers. Within that group, nearly six out of 10 (59%) said they save money regularly to cover unforeseen home expenses, and more than half (52%) said they routinely save for retirement.

Conversely, those who aren’t consistently putting money toward those goals were far less likely to experience excellent sleep. Only 21% of those who don’t save to cover home expenses and just 25% of those who aren’t making an effort to create a retirement nest egg made it into the class of above average sleepers.

To put it simply, savers are twice as likely to be excellent sleepers.

In the Quest for Rest, Peace of Mind Is Key

Even if you’ve failed repeatedly to save, it’s important to keep trying. Every dollar you put away will work to put your financial worries at ease and eliminate a major obstacle to sleep.

Using a strategy like the 52-Week Savings Challenge may be an ideal way to get into the habit of saving. In this challenge, you ease into savings by putting just $1 in the bank the first week, $2 the second week and so on. After a year, you’ll have accumulated $1,378.

(That’s just one idea. There are hundreds of articles and apps designed to help you save. Find one that you think might work best for you.)

Don’t Forget to Invest in Yourself

There’s a few smart things you can do beyond just saving money too. Setting and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding well-known sleep disrupters, like alcohol, caffeine, digital screens and big meals, in the hours before you turn in can put you on the road to sleep success too.

Best of all, adding proper sleep practices to your daily routine won’t cost you a dime.

In the quest for better rest, peace of mind is key. Learn why money savers are more likely to sleep well from @BetterSleepOrg

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Winter Sleep Survival Guide

Josh Farmer — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 20:47:41 +0000

’Twas a night close to Christmas, and all through your house,

Nobody’s awake. Not your kids. Not your spouse.

It’s late in the evening. And your day is a wrap.

So you settle in for a long winter’s nap.

But you’re tossing and turning. Your brain’s all a scatter.

“I’m wide awake! Ugh! What’s the matter?!”

It’s been tougher to sleep. There must be a reason.

Turns out your problems may be caused by the season.

Like it or not, the changing seasons impact your sleep. Now that winter is near, you’ve got some new challenges to face. Here’s a quick guide on some factors that can hamper sleep in winter and what you can do to survive the season.

Gingerbread Cookies. And Eggnog. And Ham. And Christmas Ale. And …

From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, we’re surrounded by tasty foods and delicious beverages. Changes in your eating habits during the holidays, like having meals later than normal or consuming extra caffeine throughout the day, can disrupt your sleep with heartburn, indigestion, insomnia or just a few extra middle-of-the-night bathroom visits.

It’s not just you that can suffer from holiday overindulgence. Alcohol relaxes your muscles, including those in your mouth and throat, which can compromise your airways. Translation: loud snoring and a sleep partner who’s wide awake.

SURVIVE IT: To avoid sleep Scrooges, like insomnia and heartburn, be mindful of what and when you eat. Try limiting caffeine, alcohol or heavy meals to the early evening. (Still tossing and turning at night? Try a sleep aid.)

A Season-Long Dry Spell

Cold air is drier air. Dry air leads to chapped lips, itchy skin, scratchy throats and dry noses. At best, these uncomfortable conditions can annoy you when you’re in bed trying to get to sleep. At worst, they leave you vulnerable to colds and infections. And we all know how hard it is to get restful sleep when you’re sick.

SURVIVE IT: Try using a humidifier in your bedroom to keep your nasal passages moist. (We like models with aromatherapy capability. Especially when used with lavender essential oil.) Drink plenty of fluids. Take warm, not hot, showers and apply lotion right after you towel off to lock in moisture for your skin.

Chill Time

The frigid temperatures and whipping winter winds outside drive us inside, where we immediately kick up the thermostat to 72°F or more. (Guilty, as charged.) That’s fine when we’re awake. But our body temperature naturally falls when we sleep. Rooms that are too warm can disrupt this biological sleep pattern, keeping us awake.

SURVIVE IT: The ideal bedroom temperature is around 65-67°F. Set your programmable thermostat to drop to that level shortly after your usual bedtime so you’re cozy and warm when your head hits the pillow, but cool as a snowman once you’re asleep.

Shedding Light on Melatonin

Melatonin is a sleep-promoting hormone produced by your brain in response to darkness. Gloomier days and earlier sunsets in winter can trigger melatonin release throughout the day, leaving you feeling groggy in the morning and fatigued by mid-afternoon.

Unfortunately, you may also feel more awake at bedtime because you never got the distinct, intense release of melatonin that you did during summer when long, sunlit days turn to dark nights.

SURVIVE IT: Regulate your melatonin and your internal clock by getting ample exposure to daylight during the winter. Sit by a window right after you wake up. Bundle up and take a walk at lunch.

Don’t be sleepless this winter. Learn how to survive the season with sleep tips from @BetterSleepOrg.

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