Increase Zs to Increase Your Happiness
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
How sleep can make you more content.
There’s nothing that can make you feel more ready to take on the day than a great night’s rest. But sleep can do more than just motivate us to check off the items on our to-do list – sleep can make us happier.
How Sleep Makes Us Happy
The Centers for Disease Control recommends that adults get at least seven hours of sleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, less sleep can result in not-so-happy side effects and diseases such as “obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, poor mental health.”
When it comes to brain health, sleep allows the brain to rest and repair for the coming day as it loops through the four sleep stages. Studies have found that less sleep may make it more difficult for the brain to gather positive memories and emotional associations, something that should happen during the REM stage. The more time spent in the REM stage, the more time the brain can release the happy feelings that will allow you to take on the next morning.
Amerisleep’s data shows that Americans who report getting 7.1 hours of sleep claim to be “perfectly happy,” while those that get 6.7 hours of sleep report the complete opposite. Just increasing your sleep by less than an hour can increase your mental wellness and happiness.
How to Create a Happy Sleep Routine
Most of what we know about creating a healthy sleep routine is nothing new, such as choosing decaf for that late afternoon latte and avoiding bedtime social media scrolling. A few simple swaps will not only help you sleep but add in more “you” time. Consider incorporating the following into your nighttime routine:
Take a warm shower or bath. Add some lavender essential oil to a diffuser and breathe in the calming aroma. Well-known mattress company, Casper, claims that some time under warm water “one or two hours before bed lowers the body’s temperature and encourages healthy sleep.”
Move throughout the day. Getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep.
Curl up with a good book and remember that a hardcover or paperback won’t emit blue light rays that may keep you up. Reading can help reduce stress before bed and escape to another world. Check out Hope’s Culture and Books section for reading recommendations.
Sweet dreams are one of the keys to happiness – and one that we can all get cozy and comfortable with.
Jocelyn Merrill is an educator and freelance writer-for-hire specializing in guest posts, blogging services, and copywriting. She has a passion for fitness, mental wellness, and education. When she isn’t teaching, writing or teaching writing, you can find her chasing after her toddler. Find out more at jocelynmerrill.com and justworkingitout.com.
