Environmental Sleep Factors Sleep Behaviours

Environmental Sleep Factors Sleep Behaviours and Rejuvenation After a Good Night’s Sleep The importance of quality sleep isn’t a new concept. In fact, it was more than 2,000 years ago that Greek physician Hippocrates wrote, “Disease exists if either sleep or watchfulness be excessive.” The truth is the same now as it was then: Sleep is a vital part of your overall health and wellbeing. Get enough and you’ll boost everything from your energy levels to your brainpower. Get too little and you put yourself at higher risk of a range of diseases and conditions, from diabetes to depression. What has changed from ancient times, however, is that sleep deprivation is increasingly common in today’s more-developed countries. Millions of people worldwide are not getting the sleep they need — a trend that robs them of the daily, necessary rest and rejuvenation afforded by quality sleep. In a pioneering 1999 study by Spiegel, et al., researchers discovered that sleep deprivation has a harmful effect on a body’s metabolism and comfortable bedding, including pillows, sheets and comforters or other coverings. • Turn out the lights. Tell your body it’s time to sleep by darkening your room. Eliminate as much light as possible, blocking sunlight with curtains or shades. • Turn off the TV. Keep all electronics — from televisions to computers to mobile phones — out of your bedroom. • Turn down the volume. Make sure sound levels during the night are significantly lower than during the day. Block out distracting sounds by turning off any electronics, such as televisions or radios, closing the bedroom door and using heavy curtains if traffic noise or other outside noise is a problem. • Adjust the thermostat. Find the temperature at which you are most comfortable sleeping. • Protect your bed. Use your bed only for sleep and sex — and not as an office or family recreation space