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Sleep and Health - Tips From World Leading Sleep Experts
Good sleep and good health go hand in hand. We can literally sleep our way to being happier and healthier and to live longer.
Whilst we sleep our immune system performs its preventive maintenance and helps us to curb inflammations, repair tissue and boost our immune system.
Here at Dagsmejan we work with sleep experts from across the world to understand how we can sleep better and the role that our functional sleepwear can play in that.
Check out the advice from our sleep experts below on how all of us can make simple lifestyle changes which have a huge positive impact on our sleep quality, health and overall wellbeing!
SIMPLE LIFESTYLE TIPS TO IMPROVE SLEEP
Change up your bedroom
There are a few ways we can transform our bedrooms into the best possible environments for sleep.
Find your sleep scent
Certain smells can trigger our brains to release chemicals that help us relax. For example, a quick spray of soothing lavender scent on our pillows before bed can help to calm an exhausted mind.
Keep it cool
A cooler room temperature improves sleep quality. Aim to keep the temperature below 18°C / 64.5°F. Breathing in cold air helps us to lower our core body temperature, which is beneficial for a deeper sleep.
Pick the right sleepwear and bedding
To enjoy a good night's sleep it's important to help the body release excess heat and moisture. Pick the right bedding and temperature regulating pyjamas that help to manage temperature and sweat to support your body's natural heat regulation.
"Sleep is vital. By understanding the factors that affect our sleep and by changing a few habits we can have a big impact on our sleep quality and wellbeing. Sleepwear and bedding that help to manage temperature and sweat during the night can support the body's natural thermo-regulation."
—Professor Torbjörn Åkersted, Director of Stress Research Institute, Division Manager for Biological Psychology and Treatment research, Stockholm University.
Eat snooze food and avoid sleep killers
What we drink and eat has a big influence on our sleep quality. Here are the dos and don’ts when it comes to consuming the right food and drink for the best possible sleep.
Keep it plain
Avoid spicy foods. Strong spices make sleeping through more difficult, so avoid hot Asian and Indian dishes right before bed.
Eat melatonin rich foods
Some foods help us to relax and fall asleep faster. In particular food that contain contain or promote the release of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep. Tomatoes, olives, barley, rice, walnuts, milk and cherries are types of food that naturally contain large amounts of melatonin.
Don't over-stimulate
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol has a stimulating effect that can take several hours to wear off. If you want to have a glass of wine or a coffee best to have it a few hours before going to bed.
"A definite no-go and a definite sleep disruptor is alcohol. The moment we drink alcohol there is absolutely no restorative sleep. You can even see that your resting hear rate is elevated by up to 10 beats the whole night just because of the alcohol in your system."
—Dr. med Lutz Grauman, Phd & specialist in sports medicine, nutrition and chirotherapy
Break your technology habits
Even if you don't think you have a sleep problem, your night-time habits might be reducing your quality of life more than you think. Research has shown a clear link between technology use before bed and compromised sleep that affects our health and wellbeing.
Stop watching the clock
Checking your phone to see the time stimulates the brain so we become more active and awake. If we are counting down the hours remaining before we have to wake up it can also create anxiety and restless, making it more difficult to sleep.
Reduce blue light exposure before sleep
Many devices have a 'night-mode' option which can be toggled on. This toggle red-shifts your device and takes out the blue-light emitted from the screen. Blue light can delay the release of sleep-inducing melatonin, increase alertness, and reset the body's internal clock
Create a no-tech zone
Make your own tech free space - try leaving your electronic devices on charge in another room. But if you must sleep with a phone in your bedroom, put it on do not disturb mode and turn off your notifications.
"90% of people in the U.S. admit to using a technological device during the hour before turning in, and children often use electronic media to help them relax at night. If you’re among these nighttime technology-users, you may not realize the extent to which this can make it harder to settle down to sleep. Using electronic devices before bedtime can be physiologically and psychologically stimulating in ways that can adversely affect your sleep."
—Sleepfoundation.org
WHAT ROLE DOES YOUR SLEEPWEAR PLAY IN A GREAT NIGHT'S SLEEP?
Temperature
To enjoy a restorative sleep we need to keep the best temperature for sleep. When we are hot and cold at night our sleep suffers, in particular our deep sleep phases are reduced and our sleep quality is reduced. To sleep better it’s important that our sleepwear release excess heat so that we don’t overheat, whilst keeping us warm enough that we don’t get chilly and start to shiver.
Moisture
We sweat on average the equivalence of one cup per night. Many different factors such as food, exercise habits, climate and hormonal changes can make our temperature rise and lead to night sweats. The best pyjamas for night sweats should help to cool you down through evaporative cooling, lead the sweat away from the skin and dries quickly.
Fit
We move on average 40 times every night so it’s important that our sleepwear moves with us. Look for sleepwear that truly is designed for sleep to ensure that you don’t have any waistbands that cut in, legs that ride up during the night or that you wake up with your top bundled up around your chest. With the most comfortable pyjamas you also get the deepest sleep.
Friction
When we sleep the blood flow through our skin increases as part of our nocturnal regeneration process. This makes us more sensitive to touch and to elements of discomfort. The best sleepwear should support our sleep comfort. Unfortunately, many pyjamas today have tags, buttons and seams that chafe against our skin.
The Doctor's opinion on how Dagsmejan helps you to sleep better
"Many of us know it: cold feet in the evening that prevent you from falling asleep, or a tropical summer night that comes with restless sleep. The fact that body temperature and sleep are inseparably linked, is also evident from a scientific perspective. The right temperature at the right time is essential for good sleep. Dagmejan’s sleepwear can support the nightly changes in body temperature and thereby naturally improve sleep."
- Dr. Christine Blume, sleep researcher at University Hospital Basel (Switzerland)
"As a sleep coach, I always recommend Dagsmejan sleepwear to all my customers. For a good and restful sleep it is important to maintain the optimal sleeping temperature all night long. With Dagsmejan's sleepwear the body can regulate the temperature perfectly during the night. I and my customers are able to sleep better and therefore start the day more rested and efficient. In addition, the pyjamas feels just perfect on the skin."
— Katharina Geiger, Certified Sleep Coach
“A good night’s sleep is essential for us to be happier and more successful. That’s why I’m so excited to work with Dagsmejan! By helping us to keep the best temperature for sleep Dagsmejan makes sure that we can enjoy a deeper sleep with less disruptions. The result? We are able to accomplish more in less time and with less stress and greater health."
—Dr. Rebecca Robbins, sleep researcher, co-author of Sleep for Success!, Member of the Dagsmejan Scientific Advisory Board
