This weekend, it’s time to spring forward. While this means a very welcome extra hour of sunlight later in the day, it can also take a toll on your sleep. Fortunately, we’ve got good timing here, because next week is also Sleep Awareness Week.
And that makes it the perfect time to tee up tips to help you overcome not just that lost hour, but a lot of the most common sleep woes. So if you want to get a better night’s rest and wake up feeling refreshed, you’re in the right place.
Celebrating Sleep Awareness Week
For 25 years, people and organizations have marked a week to think about sleep. This year, Sleep Awareness Week runs from March 12 to 18. It’s a call for all of us to care about the rest we get and the integral part it plays in our overall wellness.
To drive that point home, you can dig into some of our resources, like our blogs about the importance of sleep and the role it plays in your mental health.
The main takeaway here: sleep matters. It’s not something you should skimp on. It plays a huge role in your body’s ability to heal, regulate our mood, maintain a healthy weight, fight suicidal ideation, and more.
If you aren’t getting enough sleep (that’s at least seven hours a night for most adults), this week is the perfect time to start addressing the issue.
Getting your internal sleep clock to work for you
Look, we know that sleep can be a lot easier said than done. Even if you try your best to crawl under the covers seven or eight hours before your alarm, that certainly doesn’t guarantee that you’ll drift off right away or stay asleep until morning.
Fortunately, there’s an internal mechanism you can use to help here. It’s your circadian rhythm. This is a theme we’ve been hitting on in our blogs recently because it’s important for all of us to know.
The circadian rhythm is your body’s internal 24-hour clock. It does a lot, like helping to regulate your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. One of its biggest roles, though, is controlling your sleep-wake cycle.
If you have a weekday alarm for a certain time and find yourself naturally waking up at that time on the weekends, you can thank (or blame) your circadian rhythm.
The main thing to know is that your body wants to be on a consistent schedule. So if you struggle with sleep, one of the best things you can do is go to bed and get up at the same time every day. This lets your circadian rhythm support your sleep, helping you drift off easily, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. Sounds dreamy, right?
Supporting your circadian rhythm
Now, here’s the catch. For your circadian rhythm to work best for your sleep-wake cycle, you need to get on a consistent schedule. That means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, whether or not you have work or school.
Of course, there will be exceptions, like a fun night out with friends or an early morning appointment. For the most part, though, try your best to get into bed at the same time each night and set your alarm for the same time each morning. If you stick with a consistent schedule, your body’s internal clock will sync with it. That can help to improve your sleep during Sleep Awareness Week and beyond.
Want more tips to help yourself get better rest? We have suggestions to optimize your bedroom and make sure a vitamin deficiency isn’t impacting your sleep.
When you’re sleeping better, you feel better, physically and mentally. But sleep is just one part of the mental wellness puzzle. For more tools and personalized support there, talk with one of our therapists.
