World Sleep Day is coming up on the 15th of March and it’s a great opportunity to consider the importance of sleep in our own lives and around the world. World Sleep Day is about thinking of our own relationship to sleep, but it’s also about considering sleep on a global scale. Terms like sleep equity, the human right to sleep, and sleep deficits come up. As we celebrate World Sleep Day, we can take a moment to think about how we can get better sleep ourselves, and how we can fight for the importance of sleep as a global community.
Understanding the Importance of Sleep on Health & Wellbeing
Sleep is not just a nightly pause in our lives. It is rather a deep and dynamic process that is crucial for overall health and wellbeing. As we discussed in our National Sleep Awareness Week article, there is new and ample evidence that ties sleep to a number of physical, emotional, mental, immune and hormonal health issues. Quality sleep is a cornerstone of optimal health, influencing physical, cognitive, and emotional facets of our lives. Prioritizing good sleep habits is a proactive step toward maintaining better overall health and well-being.
Sleep equity, an idea that is emphasized on World Sleep Day, is about assessing what factors might get in the way of people getting a good night’s sleep. Are there economic factors that influence the quality of our sleep? Environmental factors? Assessing the ability for everyone to prioritize sleep is one step towards a more just and equitable world.
Asses Your Sleep Habits Honestly
To help you reflect on your sleep habits and how they may be influenced by factors related to sleep equity, consider the following questionnaire. Answer each question honestly to gain insight into your sleep routine and potential areas for improvement.
- How many hours of sleep do you typically get per night on weekdays and weekends?
- Do you have a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day?
- What is the quality of your sleep? (Consider factors such as uninterrupted sleep, waking up feeling refreshed, etc.)
- Are there external factors that impact your sleep, such as noise, light, or an uncomfortable mattress?
- How often do work-related stressors or demands affect your ability to get a good night’s sleep?
- Do you have access to resources that promote better sleep, such as a comfortable mattress, a quiet sleep environment, and the ability to control room temperature?
- How do your economic stress or work conditions impact your sleep routine?
How did you do? An honest assessment of our own sleep habits is crucial to understanding how we can find healthier sleep in our lives. It also helps us understand how access to quality sleep is so important for everyone. By being honest about our own sleep patterns, we can now turn to how and why everyone should have access to good sleep.
Understanding Sleep Equity
Sleep equity emphasizes the need for equal opportunities to attain adequate and restorative sleep for all individuals. Unfortunately, various factors contribute to sleep disparities, including socioeconomic status, working conditions, and even geographic location. Recognizing and addressing these disparities is vital for promoting overall health and fostering a more equitable society.
Compounding Equity Issues
Quality sleep is a fundamental aspect of maintaining physical and mental health and when it is lacking, it can lead to other disadvantages. Insufficient or disrupted sleep can lead to a range of issues, including decreased cognitive function, weakened immune systems, and heightened risk of chronic diseases. Sleep equity, therefore, becomes a crucial component of public health, addressing disparities that may contribute to health inequities in society.
Doing Our Part for World Sleep Day
At My Green Mattress, we started our company to provide healthy, non-toxic and comfortable mattresses to as many people as possible. Through our own experience, we saw how poorly built mattresses could negatively impact health. So we set out to provide comfortable, solid, certified organic mattresses that were affordable for the vast majority of families. We like to think that we’re doing our part to make great sleep accessible to more people. For World Sleep Day we’re offering a 10% discount on our mattresses with the Go Green discount code.
