It's that time of year again – when we make a promise to ourselves that we'll finally hit the gym, watch less television, lose weight, or spend more time with friends and family. But have you ever considered making a new year's resolution that includes getting better sleep?
More than 40% of Kiwis do not get enough sleep to feel refreshed and capable of performing at their best. The average amount of sleep for an adult is roughly seven hours, with only 8% of people getting more than nine hours.
This holiday season is the perfect time to get rid of your alarm clock and consider making better sleep part of your new year's resolution.
You'll be surprised by the benefits more sleep may have on things like your memory, your work performance and even your waistline.
Keep reading below to find out why you should consider sleep as part of your new year's resolutions.
Why sleep can help you stick to your resolutions
Most of us make a new year's resolution every year. Even if you don't make goals, you're undoubtedly making mental notes to live a better, healthier, and happier life in the new year.
Gyms, weight-loss organisations, and stop-smoking programmes are overwhelmed with Kiwis who have made pledges to get healthy or quit their vices at the start of each year.
Despite a promising start to the year, approximately 90% of people fail to keep their resolutions by the end of January.
Along with exercise and diet, sleep is one of the three pillars of health, but fatigue can contribute to lack of exercise, as well as increased appetite (particularly for junk food). If you're planning on improving your diet or exercise habits as part of a new year's resolution, changing your sleep habits may help.
Should sleep be one of your new year's resolutions?
In recent years, there's been a rising trend towards new year's resolutions amongst New Zealanders.
Despite their best intentions, the average Kiwi still needs help with their new year's resolutions. When asked which of the most popular resolutions they would like assistance with, most Kiwis said they wanted help with keeping their exercise and healthy diet resolutions on track.
This list shows popular new year's resolutions amongst New Zealanders:
- Eating a healthier diet
- Exercising more
- Saving money
- Working on the house (e.g. organising, decluttering, etc.)
- Spending time with family and friends
- Travel
- Progress in career
- Learn a new skill or hobby
- Making a budget or improving it
- Something else
- Cutting down on alcohol
- Invest in the stock market
- Looking for better deals on household bills, expenses, etc.
- Quit smoking
You can see that sleep didn't make the list!
We at Sleepyhead would love to help more Kiwis make sleep a part of their new year's resolution, especially since it can improve so many aspects of your life.
Sleep makes us healthier
Did you realise there's a link between sleep and nutrition?
Diets heavy in saturated fat and poor in fibre, for example, may reduce the amount of deep, restorative sleep you experience. You may wake up more frequently if you consume too many sweets. Certain meals and beverages consumed close to bedtime can also contribute to poor sleep.
If you're having difficulties falling and staying asleep, it's possible that your eating and drinking habits are to blame. Your desire or capacity to maintain a healthy lifestyle may be harmed by a lack of sleep. Obesity and poor sleep patterns have been connected in a number of studies throughout the years.
In the same way that a lack of good sleep may contribute to weight gain, getting a good night's sleep can help you consume fewer calories throughout the day. Being sleep deprived stimulates the production of a hormone called ghrelin, which increases your appetite and can cause you to eat an extra 300 calories a day. Sleep deprived people also crave foods that are rich in fat and carbohydrates. To find out more about weight gain and sleep, check out our Sleepyhead blog 'Is poor sleep the reason for your weight gain'.
So, if you're one of the Kiwis whose new year's resolution is to lose weight, getting more sleep will definitely help.
Sleep helps us exercise
Sleep is an essential component to any exercise programme that many people overlook. It's likely that your diet and exercise will deteriorate if you don't get enough sleep each night.
A good night's sleep provides a number of benefits. To begin with, while you sleep, your body gets the time it requires to restore itself. Second, this replenishment gives you the energy you need for the next day. Since sleep is so important for muscle growth, healing, and disease prevention, it's crucial for athletes, as well as anybody striving to improve their strength.
If you're interested to find out how sleep can also help you sleep, check out this Sleepyhead Sleep Guide: How exercise can help you sleep.
Sleep makes us happier
Have you ever heard the expression "I woke up on the wrong side of the bed"? It's a well-known phrase that's often used to describe someone who's irritable and grumpy! Although they aren't particularly irritable because they awoke on the wrong side of the bed, their look indicates that they are tired from not getting enough sleep.
Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increase in negative emotions (anger, irritation, impatience, and melancholy) and a reduction in happy moods, according to research. In depression and anxiety disorders, sleep deprivation is a common symptom. It can also increase the likelihood of developing mental illnesses, as well as contributing to them.
Anxiety is the most frequent mental health condition in New Zealand, with over 200,000 people suffering from it.
Sleep is one of the body's natural anxiety-relieving strategies. Our mind and body relax when we sleep, allowing us to be sharper the next day and better prepared to deal with life's demands and challenges. It's almost paradoxical, though, that anxiety may make sleeping more difficult. Sleep issues are very common in people who are under a lot of stress, and they can actually start a loop that makes it more difficult to overcome worry in the future. You can read more about the link between anxiety and sleep here.
It will be much easier to stick to your new year's resolutions if you're in a better mood.
Sleep makes us smarter
The prefrontal cortex in our brain may be thought of as the engine that propels our best performance. High-level functioning includes our ability to set and keep to goals, our ability to focus, our logical thinking, and our decision-making abilities. If our brain's engine doesn't have a chance to rest, it might start to backfire – literally!
To put it another way, if you're having trouble being disciplined, making poor decisions, or if your willpower isn't cutting it, it might be time to add more sleep to your new year's resolution list.
New year's resolutions require sleep to be successful
If you want to enhance your sleep as part of your new year's resolutions, you may want to start by making tiny changes to your sleeping patterns.
These tips below will help you obtain the proper amount of sleep and enhance the quality of your sleep. They will also benefit your physical and emotional well-being.
Follow a routine: Following a bedtime routine can assist in the development of a habit that signals to your brain and body that it is time to retire.
Limit your caffeine intake: Limit yourself to two cups of coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverages each day, ideally before midday.
Keep off your phone: The blue light generated by your phone and other electronic devices can interfere with your body's natural sleep response at night.
Reduce your alcohol: Limit yourself to no more than 1-2 standard drinks each day. Although alcohol has a calming effect and can help you fall asleep, it frequently leads to waking up in the middle of the night and disordered sleep.
Keep a cool sleeping environment: Try to keep your bedroom temperature at 18 degrees and wear loose-fitting clothing if you can. If it doesn't work, you might want to look into Sleepyhead beds with KülKōte. Choosing the right mattress to suit your body temperature as well as that of your significant other can be tough. We've found a technology out of the US that could help and it's called KülKōte. It's the same innovation that's used in spacesuits to regulate an astronaut's body temperature. The technology has been integrated into some of our mattresses and bedding, which means the surface of your bed or pillow pulls heat away from your body. You can read more about KülKōte here.
Run yourself a warm bath: Many people find that unwinding in a warm bath or shower before bed helps to calm their mind and body.
Find your perfect bed: Finding the right bed to match your own needs can help improve your quality of sleep. For example, Sleepyhead's range of mattresses is designed to provide a comfortable and affordable night's sleep for those looking for a great value, quality bed that will stand the test of time.
Get a better night's sleep with Sleepyhead
As we now know, sleep is important to the success of your new year's resolutions. Sleepyhead has developed a wide range of advanced technologies to create excellent mattresses in New Zealand to ensure the most comfortable and supportive sleep possible. Why not take our Sleep Selector Quiz to find the best mattress for you, or check out our list of retailers to find a store close to you.