Today is World Sleep Day. We all know how important it is to get enough sleep. That magic number is 8 hours. Getting enough and regular sleep helps rejuvenate our mood regulation, cognitive function and overall health.
Singaporeans were sleeping more last year according to Fitbit’s data in 2020. However, Singaporeans still had one of the lowest sleep durations in the region.
This World Sleep Day, make the necessary adjustments to achieve better sleep for the year ahead. Improve your sleep quality and understand your health and wellness better.
Fitbit recommends five tips to sleep longer and get better quality sleep.
1. Power Nap Like a Pro
If you are not able to stay focused during the day, try napping for 15 to 45 minutes. Napping offers a variety of health benefits. You will be more alert, enjoy better endurance, increased creativity and a lowered risk of heart disease.
2. Clear The Air
Fresh air circulating in the bedroom may help people get better sleep. Make sure your room is well ventilated. You could leave your window slightly open to minimise entry of noise and light. This may help you wake up fewer times each night. This helps you feel better rested the next morning with improved concentration levels. Well ventilated rooms are likely to contain more oxygen which may be linked to better cognition.
3. Avoid Eating or Drinking Close to Bedtime
Eating or drinking close to bedtime means your body will focus on digestion and not sleeping. Your body may think that it is not time for it to shut down yet. If you can, avoid eating for two hours before your bedtime. And if you really need to eat, go for healthy snacks such as almonds, oatmeal or bananas to name a few.
4. Take a Shower
Showers are relaxing. They lower your body temperature. This signals your body that it is time for bed. Falling core body temperature is associated with rises in melatonin levels in the body. This facilitates our transition to sleep and promotes consistent, quality rest. Cool down the air in your bedroom with a fan or open a window to encourage your body temperature to drop even more.
5. Create your ideal Sleep Sanctuary
You environment impacts your sleep. Improve the quality and sleep duration with a few easy changes to your environment.
- Sleep in total blackness and silence. Use an eye mask and earplugs.
- Sleep at the right temperature. The optimal bedroom temperature is between 15 to 21°C
- Use a white noise machine to drown out disruptive noises that are beyond your control such as loud neighbours or street noises.
Fitbit can help you improve your sleep quality and understand your health and wellness better with its sleep-tracking features on its devices to help you optimise your sleep. Fitbit Premium also offers advanced sleep features such as sleep programmes, personalised sleep insights and a thorough analysis of your sleep stats. Get a deeper analysis of your free daily Sleep Score, calculated based on your time asleep, time spent in each sleep stage (light, deep or REM), and how restorative your sleep was – which makes it easier to understand your sleep quality.
