NATIONAL BED MONTH Throughout March it’s National Bed Month – a whole month dedicated to learning about the importance of a good night’s sleep and how to improve your kip with a comfortable, supportive bed.
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ho doesn’t love a full, uninterrupted night’s sleep? If you find you’re struggling to get to sleep or you’re waking up at 4 am because the springs in your bed are uncomfortable then fear not as March is National Bed Month and we’re here to tell you how important it is to get a full night’s sleep and what you should be doing to ensure you really do get your beauty sleep. Organised by The Sleep Council, the month aims to remind us all of why a sound sleep is good for our health. It’s thought that good sleep has amazing properties that make you healthier and happier, and can even add years to your life! But why do we sleep? It may at first seem glaringly obvious, but the question of sleep is actually quite mysterious. In simple terms, it is an extended bout of rest we experience on a daily basis, where we most often lay down with our eyes closed. But there’s more to sleep than meets the eye. One of the vital roles of sleep is to help us solidify and consolidate memories. As we go about our day, our brains take in an incredible amount of information. Rather than being directly logged and recorded, however, these facts and experiences first need to be processed and stored; and many of these steps happen while we sleep. Overnight, bits and pieces of information are transferred from more tentative, short-term memory to stronger, longterm memory—a process called “consolidation.” How much sleep do we need? Sleep is a vital indicator of overall health and wellbeing. The average person spends around a third of
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their life asleep. In this time, our bodies are able to replenish energy stores and make repairs, while our minds organise and store the memories of the day before. The amount of sleep you need depends on your age, sex, health and other elements, and sleep cycles change as we grow older. Healthy sleep is critical for everyone since we all need to retain information and learn skills to thrive in life. But this is likely part of the reason children - who acquire language, social, and motor skills at a breathtaking pace throughout their development - need more sleep than adults. While adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night, oneyear-olds need roughly 11 to 14 hours, school-age children between 9 and 11, and teenagers between 8 and 10. During these critical periods of growth and learning, younger people need a heavy dose of slumber for optimal development and alertness. How can you improve your sleeping habits? To begin a new path towards healthier sleep and a healthier lifestyle, begin by assessing your own individual needs and habits, you need to test how you respond to different amounts of sleep. To pave the way for better sleep, consider these simple, yet effective healthy steps to fulfilling your sleep goals! Your Bedroom If you’re having trouble sleeping, one of the first things to consider is your bedroom. In order to get a restful night’s sleep, you need the right setting, which means a clean, peaceful and welcoming room. Many of us are unknowingly sleeping in a bedroom that’s simply not fit for purpose, and that environment could be the key cause of a restless night. Always ensure that when it’s time for sleep you make your room completely dark, this means investing in some blackout blinds or curtains or even an eye mask.
Say no to technology in the bedroom! That means avoiding televisions and computers. Having access to these will urge you to switch on when you can’t drift off, Call The Plympton Community Magazine 01752 691007 | www.plymptonmagazine.co.uk which in turn can lead to even more disturbed sleep.
