Held on March 19,World Sleep Day is an annual global awareness event that highlights the importance of healthy sleep[1]. This year’s theme is “Regular Sleep, Healthy Future” – emphasizing the positive impact good sleeping habits can have on our physical and mental health.
As the pace of the world becomes faster and faster, we devote more hours to the things we need to accomplish daily, leaving us with less time to recharge our minds and bodies through sleep. Even in these times, the importance of a sound sleep cannot be underscored, as sleep affects our bodily functions involved in memory consolidation, inflammation control, heart health, and many other important systems. However, in terms of hours spent sleeping, recent studies have shown that the Philippines is a country with one of the highest rates of sleep deprivation in the world[2].
In line with World Sleep Day’s aim to educate the world on how good sleeping habits can improve our quality of life, Fitbit remains steadfast in its drive to help Filipinos practice healthier sleeping habits. Through sleep tracking technology pioneered over a decade ago, Fitbit makes vital information that helps understand and improve our sleep patterns available to us anytime we need it.
While regularly getting good sleep has good effects on our health, sleep is only one of many factors that we must address if we want to live healthier lives. By seeing sleep as a key pillar of fitness alongside physical activity, proper nutrition, and stress management, the lifestyle choices we make can pave the way for better and healthier days ahead.
Here are some of the things you can do in a day to help you get the good night’s sleep you need:
- Get Some Exercise
There are many benefits to exercising regularly. Even with our current situation where most of our time is spent at home, it’s possible to still get a good sweat session in. On top of developing physical functions and lowering the risk of getting sick, exercise also helps improve sleep as studies have shown that moderate to vigorous exercise can increase the quality of sleep a person gets by reducing the time it takes to fall asleep.[3]
- Eat Right
The ideal diet to promote better sleep quality is one rich in fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and dairy[4]. Additionally, limiting your intake of heavily processed foods, sugar-rich snacks, as well as caffeine and alcohol can promote positive outcomes in terms of sleep quality.
However, how well we sleep isn’t only affected by what foods we eat, but also when we eat them. Eating sugary foods throughout the day can affect blood sugar levels – leading to feelings of fatigue which can affect sleep patterns. And due to the need to digest food, consuming a heavy meal before bedtime can interfere with the body’s natural process of winding down.
- Manage Stress
With how long and hectic days can be, stress can set in – possibly leading to elevated heart rates, quickened breathing, and the increase of stress hormones in the body which can inhibit the body’s natural need to relax[5]. As the onset of stress can impact sleep, simple destressing practices such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or meditative movement like yoga can go a long way towards improving a person’s emotional well-being – which can possibly improve one’s quality of sleep.
- Maintain a Sleeping Schedule
Studies have shown that consistent bedtimes and rise times are associated with better sleep quality across both adults and seniors alike. As sleep can affect mental sharpness, emotional well-being and energy levels, creating and following a proper sleeping schedule is essential in getting ourselves in the best overall state to face each new day[6].
- Monitor Your Sleeping Habits
Featured across Fitbit’s latest line of products such as the Fitbit Inspire 2, Fitbit Versa 3, and the Fitbit Sense, Fitbit’s range of sleep technologies are geared to not only help you understand your sleep patterns, but also to provide the exact data and insights you need to improve your sleeping habits.
- Sleep Mode – Turn off notifications and disable your screen to sleep without distractions, while the smart wake feature helps you start your day feeling refreshed.
- Sleep Score – Each morning, you can view your Sleep Score on the Fitbit app for findings on the quality of your sleep. By understanding results based on your heart rate, restlessness, time awake, and Sleep Stages, you can determine what you need to help make your sleep even better.
- Sleep Stages – As the body cycles through different sleep stages every night, Fitbit’s PurePulse heart rate and sensitive motion detectors can track your time spent in each sleep stage, as well as your time awake.
Getting a good night’s sleep begins even way before we close our eyes. By seeing how nutrition, wellness, and physical activity all connect with sleep, we see how health goes beyond looking physically fit. As World Sleep Day comes around, through its commitment to innovations that holistically help people live healthier lives, Fitbit’s sleep tools can maximize the benefits you get while asleep, so you can maximize the time you spend awake. ###
[1] https://worldsleepday.org/
[2] https://www.stlukes.com.ph/news-and-events/news-and-press-release/st-lukes-launches-first-ever-comprehensive-insomnia-management-program-in-ph
[3] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity/exercise-and-sleep
[4] https://www.sleepscore.com/eat-well-sleep-well-how-diet-affects-your-sleep/
[5] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/how-to-relieve-stress-for-bedtime
[6] https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/health-benefits-of-having-a-routine
