World Sleep Day

World Sleep Day is an annual event intended to be a celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep. It is organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) and aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders. The world sleep day is on the Friday before the March equinoxes or Spring Vernal Equinox, and therefore, the date changes each year.

World Sleep Day 2024 will be observed on Friday, March 15th.

The first WSD was held on March 14th, 2008, under the slogan ‘Sleep well, live fully awake’. The slogan for World Sleep Day 2024 is ”Sleep Equity for Global Health‘ which highlights the importance of regular sleep on a person’s health and mental state.

World sleep day focuses on maintaining the body’s natural circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are the 24-hour rhythms that control many aspects of our behavior, physiology, and metabolism. Maintaining stable circadian rhythms is vital to good health. If we continually disrupt our rhythms, we increase the risk of sleep disorders, mental health disorders, and chronic health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and even some cancers.

The best way to manage your body clock is by keeping a regular schedule. We should try to sleep and wake at the same time each day. Exposure to a regular light-dark cycle – bright days and dark nights – is vital in helping to maintain a regular cycle. Try and get as much daylight exposure in the daytime but then sleep in as dark a room as possible, or use an eye mask, to create a large day-night contrast.

Sound sleep is one of the three pillars of good health along with a balanced diet and regular exercise. World Sleep Day is an annual event, intended to be a celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep. It aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders.

The objective of World Sleep Day

The main goal of World Sleep Day is to essentially promote the importance of sleep. It is also the aim of the public education and awareness campaign to impart useful tips to the public for promoting quality sleep.

Is sleep good for your health?

Sleep can do an incredible amount of good for your health and wellbeing. Not only can it benefit your internal organs, including your heart, but it can also help you maintain a healthy weight, promote positive mental health, and generally contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

Sleep keeps the heart healthy – People with a lack of sleep are linked to cardiovascular problems, which increase the risk of heart disease and strokes. Studies have found that for a healthy heart you need 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily.

It lowers stress level – Lack of sleep makes your body enter stress as it increases blood pressure and boosts the production of stress hormones. Getting a good night’s sleep helps break the cycle and counteract the effects of stress on the body.

Sleep reduces chronic inflammation – Chronic inflammation caused by stress hormones will hasten the aging process which can cause premature skin aging signs you need proper sleep to get rid of stress hormones.

Sleep boosts memory – When a person sleeps a lot of processes occur in the body like memory consolidation wherein the brain processes the day and makes connections between events, experiences, moods, feelings, and memories. Sleep is an important time for the brain to shape memories and make connections which will make it easier for the person to retrieve memories later on.

Sleep improves both physical and mental performance the following day – Getting enough sleep allows you to perform optimally the next day not just physically but mentally as well and helps to ensure a healthier future.

Tips for a good night’s sleep:

1. Turn off your gadgets, such as smartphones and tablets.

2. Eat light and avoid caffeine in the evening.

3. Work out, regular exercise during the daytime can make for a great night’s sleep.

4. Have defined bedtimes and set proper room temperature.

5. Give 30 minutes for bedtime routine: instead of expecting to fall asleep right away.

So sleep matters; you simply can’t achieve optimal health without a good night’s sleep!

Suggested Read: Important Days In March