One would think evolution had it wrong, but most recent research on sleep suggests strong indications to the contrary.  As it turns out, for its important positive health impact, sleep is well-worth a third of one’s lifetime.

Sleep is Our Superpower

Sleep is your life-support system and Mother Nature’s best effort yet at immortality, says Professor of Neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Matthew Walker in a 2023 DOAC podcast.  He goes as far as to say sleep is our superpower.  By now, most of us would know that sleeping is a state of our bodies when important processes are triggered – rest and recovery.  We fall asleep so that our brain focuses on stacking and ordering the events and emotions from the waking time.  And this process is as important for memory, as it is for ensuring we have the capacity to live actively and fully when we wake up.  But sleep, it turns out, is as important for the body, as it is for the brain – the rest and recovery state replenishes our immune cells and helps our ability to fight common viruses and dire diseases.

As we age, our learning and memory abilities and overall health start to deteriorate, and this has partly been attributed to the diminishing amounts of sleep we get. Common distractors from sleep are high stress levels, poor sleep habits, parenthood, illnesses.  And while we may be aware of all these, we are relatively ill-equipped with resolution or instruments to consciously fight them off.

Quantity and Quality of Sleep Both Matter

It takes as little as missing an hour to an hour and a half of our sleep during one night for our general alertness level to decrease by as much as 30%, according to Dr. Clete Kushida, MD, Medical Director of Stanford Sleep Medicine Center.  Such correlations that we have known for a long time continue to plague our economies and societies at large, having an impact on work productivity, creativity and innovation, interpersonal relationships, but also, most ominously, on traffic accidents and disease incidence.

So how do we know just how much sleep is enough? Research suggests that while there are recommended amounts of sleep by age group (the younger you are, the more sleep you need), the specific amount of sleep needed can vary with the individual.  Some people may need 10 hours of sleep, while others could be fine on six.  The specific amounts could be genetically inherited or nurtured by lifestyle.  And while you will most probably know when you are getting enough sleep based on your high energy levels and general feeling of happiness, as well as passing your blood tests with flying colours, the signals for running a persistent sleep debt (the difference between how much sleep you get and how much sleep you need), may be more difficult to ascribe to sleep deprivation specifically – chronic fatigue, depression, restlessness.  But they could be.

Some Alternative Sleeping Hacks

If you are struggling with the quantity of sleep that you get or would like to improve its quality, there are a few ideas you could explore.  First and foremost, if you have a sleep disorder that poses a life hazard, please do not postpone a visit to a medical professional and follow their guidance on the appropriate therapy.  For all other instances, medication may be a blunt and short-lived method and we recommend exploring softer and longer-term approaches recommended by the sleep experts.

We know you’ve heard that it’s best to have a calming chamomile tea before going to bed, or that you shouldn’t have a large meal 2-3 hours prior to sleep, or that once you wake up you should exercise for a bit and have a physically and mentally active day in order for your circadian rhythm to function seamlessly.  If these are too hard to accomplish or too common now that you need some new ideas, we would like to suggest a list of 5 less common but quite inspiring recommendations for upping your sleep game.

Hack # 1: Consistent bedtime and wake-up time. It may be a bit boring to those of us hating routines, but it is the one and number one recommendation from the entire sleep expert community.  Consistency in the time you go to bed may even be more important than the actual time you go to bed.  That said, remember that the highest quality sleep is during those few hours before midnight!

Hack # 2: Bright light in the morning – within 5 minutes of waking up, ensure you are exposed to bright, natural light for at least 30 minutes. This could be another pro factor for your morning run, the start of a morning walk routine, or just a tip to open your bedroom window wide and welcome the sunlight of the new day, while you get ready to start the day.

Hack # 3: Dim the lights – about an hour before going to bed. This recommendation is about creating cues or rituals that your body would recognize and start producing melatonin that will get you to sleep. Bright screens, of course, are not recommended.  Phones, ipads, laptops and TVs – instruments of the attention-grabbing economy all aim to make you procrastinate sleep.  It is important to be mindful, rather than mindless when and how we use them and best keep them out of the bedroom.

Hack # 4: The 20-minute rule – if you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes in bed, get up and start doing something that makes you feel drowsy. Lingering in bed waiting to fall asleep is like sitting at a dining table waiting to get hungry.  It is a pretty useless activity and it distorts the cues your body gets to drift off to sleep.

Hack # 5: Envelope yourself in comfort and security for a long, deep slumber.  There is good evidence now that similar to babies, adults too are reassured and comforted when they are tightly tucked in.  We may consciously be looking for freedom of movement, lots of air and space, but when it comes down to a good, replenishing sleep, our subconsciousness seeks a tight and reassuring environment.  Weighted blankets and tactile comfort help one fall asleep faster and contribute to a better, more restful sleep.

Tucked In Premium Textile

It is in those moments when the lights are dimmed, or when you wake up during the night and all activity is stalled and you need comfort and relaxation that high quality bedlinen make the most difference.  Have you considered that when you lie in bed, all you sense is textile?  Fine, natural fibers send signals to your brain that you are well.  The smooth and soft feel of luxury fabrics, the crispiness of clean, high-grade sheets would send those reassuring messages to countless millions of neurons on your skin and sign you off for sleep in a secure, healthy environment.

Taking the time and effort to meaningfully design and care for the spaces where the magic of sleep happens may be one of the most worthwhile activities we do in our lives.  Bedlinen and blankets have the potential to make you feel good, reassured and comfort all your senses while you fall asleep and help you sleep deeper and longer.  Selecting the right comfort for you during rest and investing in premium bedlinen and inserts may be the one thing in your home that you should not compromise on.  While most of the sleeping hacks are within your control, at ODAYA Home we can help with the textile part, which is not.  Contact us for your bedroom makeover, step one to your better sleep.