Ways To Observe Sleep Awareness Week 2024

Sleep is a foundational element of physical health, mental health, and overall well-being. Despite its great importance, people across the globe struggle to get enough quality sleep. Getting a good night's sleep could mean the difference between a clear, focused mind and feeling fatigued the next day.

Recent findings indicate that most Americans struggle to get quality sleep. In addition to factors like jet lag and work schedules, daylight saving time can also have an impact. Similar to results from previous American polls, one survey found that more than half of adults report being tired around daylight saving time, which can disrupt sleep patterns. 

Observing Sleep Awareness Week, which takes place from March 10 to March 16, 2024, can help raise awareness of the importance of sleep and support individuals in learning how to get more of it. 

The history of Sleep Awareness Week

Sleep Awareness Week, an annual event beginning on March 10, 2024, was created in 1998 by the National Sleep Foundation, which has been studying sleep, bedtime habits, and the impacts of sleep on various areas of life and health for over thirty years. 

Efforts from the National Sleep Foundation

The National Sleep Foundation started Sleep Awareness Week as a premier event focusing on the importance of quality rest and became a cornerstone campaign to educate the public on healthy nighttime behaviors. This annual campaign seeks to offer practical tips and consensus-based practices designed to help individuals achieve a good night's rest. 

In addition to providing sleep education and best practices for quality rest, Sleep Awareness Week serves as a chance to spread information about sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, and other physical or mental illnesses that may affect sleep duration and quality.

When is World Sleep Day?

World Sleep Day falls during Sleep Awareness Week on March 15 this year. The World Sleep Society organizes this day to emphasize the importance of healthy sleep and remind us that adequate sleep is key for overall health and well-being. The World Sleep Society promotes an education campaign to teach healthy sleep behaviors across the globe.

Why is sleep health so important?

Sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining and improving health and overall well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s recommended that adults get between seven and nine hours a night for good health. They suggest eight to 10 hours a night for teenagers and even more for younger children—up to 17 hours a day for newborns, for instance, since sleep is essential for their growth and development. 

When you enter high-quality deep rest, your body and mind get the nourishment and regeneration they need for proper functioning. Studies on health theory suggest that getting good sleep is as important for health and wellness as eating nutritious foods and exercising.

Sleep and mental health

Rest has an important connection to mental and cognitive health as well. According to Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, a researcher at the University of Rochester, the brain changes function during rest, acting “almost like a kidney, removing waste from the system.” Dr. Nedergaard’s team found that the brain removes proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease twice as quickly during sleep, suggesting that getting enough sleep could be inversely correlated with the chance of developing Alzheimer's. 

Sleep deficiency has also been linked to several mental health conditions and symptoms, including depression, risk-taking behavior, and even suicidal ideation. People who don’t rest well or enough may also experience challenges controlling their moods, emotions, and impulses. 

Though some may think getting less rest is okay if it’s to work more or be more productive, intentional or unintentional sleep deprivation can have a serious impact on your mental health and quality of life. Consider the following statistics from this campaign:

Sleep and physical health

Sleep also plays a role in many aspects of physical health. For one, research suggests that adults who get seven to eight hours of rest on a regular basis have a decreased risk of obesity and high blood pressure. Conversely, not getting enough sleep can be harmful in many ways, including potentially:

• Increasing risk of heart disease and stroke
• Decreasing immune function
• Decreasing insulin sensitivity, which can lead to diabetes
• Negatively impacting hormone balance

Hallmark exhaustion-related physical symptoms include headaches, lack of coordination, gastrointestinal symptoms, and body aches, which can affect an individual’s ability to work and function. 

Tips for improving your sleep hygiene

For many people, it can be difficult to get enough rest. Hectic schedules, chronic pain, stress, poor sleeping conditions, and mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, and PTSD can impact a person’s ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Below are some consensus-based best practices and tips for boosting your sleep hygiene to potentially improve your rest.

Create a relaxing environment

Choosing sheets, blankets, pillows, and a mattress that you find comfortable and right for your needs is often the first step. Additionally, you may want to consider taking measures to keep your room dark, cool, and quiet. Research suggests that the best room temperature for sleep is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. You might also try using a sleep mask to block out any light and running a fan, sound machine, or white noise track to help you avoid waking up due to light or noise.

Avoid screens before bedtime

Working on your computer, scrolling news headlines, or playing video games before bed may stimulate the mind and make it difficult for you to feel calm enough to relax. Some research also suggests that the blue light emitted from electronic devices may prevent your body from secreting melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. You might benefit from reading a book, stretching, or listening to relaxing music instead. 

Limit alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine

Each of these substances can make it difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Research suggests that drinking alcohol before bed can disrupt sleep quality and may exacerbate sleep-disordered breathing like snoring and sleep apnea. In addition, nicotine and caffeine are both stimulants that can remain in the bloodstream for hours after being consumed, potentially disrupting nighttime rest as well.

Stick to a regular sleep schedule

Studies suggest that people who keep a regular nighttime schedule reinforce their circadian rhythm and thus tend to get better sleep than those with a more disorganized pattern. A regular sleep schedule means going to bed at roughly the same time each night and waking up at roughly the same time each morning.

Supporting mental health by seeking therapy for sleep concerns

When it comes to insomnia, research indicates that engaging in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be beneficial. In fact, people who receive CBT for insomnia have been known to experience sleep benefits comparable to those they would get from commonly prescribed sleep medications, but with no side effects. CBT can also be used to address symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health conditions that may cause or exacerbate sleep problems.

For individuals who are interested in therapy as a way to improve their rest, their mental health, or both, online therapy may be a format worth considering. It allows you to connect virtually with a licensed mental health professional from the comfort of your home. Research suggests that online therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy in many cases.