Did you know that the 13th March is World Sleep Day ?  Most people will see the irony here, with the expectation that sleeping is only done during night time. 

Well, it’s a little known fact that we do have natural points during the day when our bodies are more capable of sleep; early afternoon and early evening. Many top sports men and women sleep during the day to maximise performance. Sleep is actually regarded as one of the best performance enhancing activities the body can undertake.

Quite surprising then that coping with little sleep is often worn as a badge of honour within the business world.  It’s clear there is a lack of recognition that not enough sleep is a key driver for a lack of productivity within the work place. But can this affect your mental health? Absolutely! There are lots of negative effects on our body and mind as a result of not enough, or poor, sleep and the long term effects can be very serious. The average adult needs between 7-9hrs sleep within a 24 hour period to stay healthy and be productive.  So let’s start giving sleep the respect it deserves. Here are a few tips to help aid restful sleep:

• Avoid caffeine after lunch

• Limit your alcohol intake 

• Have a bed time routine to prepare the body for sleep

• Set an alarm to wake up at the same time everyday 

• Take a hot shower or bath before bed

• Avoid blue light (laptop, tablet, mobile phone screens) 90 minutes before bed

• Finally, don’t lie awake worrying about sleep. Anxiety gets in the way of sleep onset, so just relax and tell yourself you’re ‘resting’.

Happy Sleep Day from the Get Mentally Healthy team!