World Sleep Day

On Friday, March 19, 2021, the 14th annual World Sleep Day is here.  The slogan "Regular Sleep, Healthy Future" was chosen by the international committee, which highlights the importance of sleep as a pillar of health.

What Is World Sleep Day?

World Sleep Day calls out to all sleep professionals to help educate the world, advocate the importance of sleep to improve global health, and achieve an optimal quality of life. Sleep medicine doctors don't just treat sleep conditions, they also have the obligation of promoting sleep health.

It's meant to be a sleep celebration, and a call to action on essential problems sleep-related, which includes:

• Education
• Medicine
• Driving
• Social aspects

It's organized by the World Sleep Society of the World Sleep Day Committee, and is aimed at reducing the burden of sleep issues on society through better management and prevention of sleep disorders.

World Sleep Day is designed to provide a template to work from, may be adapted to focus within various countries, and suits the media environment. It can be used to create consistent talking points for guiding a message with others around the globe.

When Is World Sleep Day? 

The World Sleep Day is being held on Friday, March 19, 2021, and is a yearly event. Each year, World Sleep Day is held on the Friday prior to Spring Vernal Equinox.

What’s the Mission of 2021 World Sleep Day?

World Sleep Day 2021 will be incorporating the "Regular Sleep, Healthy Future"slogan to highlight how essential sleep is as a pillar of health, and connect regular sleep to a healthier mental and physical state in the future. It's a purposefully broad focus that surrounds the message that life quality can be enhanced with healthy sleep. On the other side, when sleep fails, quality of life is decreased, and health declines.

Regulating the time you go to bed and the time you wake up each morning is linked with better sleep length and quality. Regular sleep is the ideal way of starting each day off in a healthy way, and paves the way for a healthier tomorrow.

What’s the History of World Sleep Day?

The World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Day Society founded World Sleep Day in 2008.

Past themes were:

• Sleep Well, Live Fully Awake (2008)
• Drive Alert, Arrive Safe (2009)
• Sleep Well, Stay Healthy (2010)
• Sleep Well, Grow Healthy (2011)
• Breathe Easily, Sleep Well (2012)
• Good Sleep, Healthy Aging (2013)
• Restful Sleep, Easy Breathing, Healthy Body (2014)
• When Sleep is Sound, Health and Happiness Abound (2015)
• Good Sleep is a Reachable Dream (2016)
• Sleep Soundly, Nurture Life (2017)
• Join the Sleep World, Preserve your Rhythms to Enjoy Life (2018)
• Healthy Sleep, Healthy Aging (2019)
• Better Sleep, Better Life, Better Planet (2020)

How Can I Take Part in World Sleep Day?

It can be very easy to enjoy World Sleep Day. You can change your life for the better, simply making small efforts to move towards sleeping more healthy. Consider these ways to take part in World Sleep Day:

1. Take a Nap

You can celebrate this day by taking a nap. Sleep as long as you want on this day, or grab 20 minutes of sleep time on your work lunch break, if that's all you have. If you feel refreshed after your nap, it means you need it.

2. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

This includes healthy relaxation routines and habits like:

• Fixed bedtime and wake time
• Exercising
• Cutting back on caffeine
• Decluttering your bedroom
• Dimming the lights
• Reducing stress
• Practicing meditation
• Creating an ideal sleeping environment

3. Buy a New Mattress

Many individuals struggle with sleep issues because of poor support structure during sleep. Now, you can use World Sleep Day as an excuse to purchase yourself a new mattress that will improve your sleep quality. Certain higher end mattresses, like Latex For Less, are made to adapt to your body's needs, since they're changing with time.

4. Get Natural Daylight Exposure

Try to get outside for at least 10 - 20 minutes each morning to help set your body clock. It's simpler to obtain regular sleep when you set yourself up for success, meaning getting up each day at a regular time, preferably with bright light exposure following a good night's sleep, as certain movement that will send a reliable daytime signal.

5. Focus on Positive Emotions

Remember the mission of the 2021 World Sleep Day is to connect regular sleep to a healthier mental and physical state in the future. You can boost this healthy connection with positive thinking to help achieve better wellbeing and health overall, along with great sleep.

6. Wind Down Before Bedtime

In the evening, make sure you allow enough time for winding down and detaching, which is crucial for initiating sleep. You'll also want to maintain good stimulus control (if you can't sleep - get out of bed), which will help build resilience up in your system.

Take World Sleep Day as an opportunity to catch up on that needed sleep your body needs to improve your wellbeing. Because as you've just learned, quality sleep is a pillar of health.