Trends like sleepmaxxing have made their way into the ethos in the past few years, and the world is finally waking up. Gone are the days of sacrificing sleep to get more done or burning the midnight oil to “earn” our rest. Sleep is an essential pillar of physical and mental well-being. And we can personally attest that sleep can quite literally be the difference between the best and worst versions of ourselves.
A lack of sleep doesn’t just make you irritable and cranky, it can lead to digestion issues, chronic inflammation, premature aging, and other long-term health risks. Alternately, good sleep habits, or sleep hygiene, can enhance memory and focus, emotional regulation, longevity, and more. The benefits are endless.
Sleep is one of the most underrated tools we have for managing emotions and making sense of the world.
All that being said, Americans are still not getting proper sleep despite knowledge of its importance. A Gallup poll found 57% of Americans say they would benefit from getting more sleep and 1/5 of Americans are sleeping fewer than five hours a night. What’s more, the amount of sleep has only trended downwards since the ’40s and steeply declined in the past decade for women under 50.
While stress is a primary factor, the relationship between stress and sleep health goes both ways. Those who sleep less are more stressed, and those who are more stressed sleep less. It’s a vicious cycle.
While we may not always be able to control the external factors that cause our stress, we can do our best to control our sleep hygiene and reap the benefits. Because when we sleep better, we feel, look, and live better.
