Thanks to all who attended our World Sleep Day Open House. We hope to see you again next year.

See today’s article recapping this important awareness event here.

1 SLEEP UNTIL WORLD SLEEP DAY

World Sleep Day (March 17th) and National Sleep Awareness Week (which concluded March 12th) are important awareness events organized by sleep professionals; to educate and inform the community about the prevalence of sleep disorders and the direct effects of poor sleep. Sleep problems are all too common and have a negative impact on our overall wellbeing.

This basic human need is just as important as eating and drinking yet we don’t always realize just how paramount it is until we are faced with dire consequences as a result of poor sleep.

Though the number of folks affected by sleep disorders continues to rise, many will ignore their symptoms and will fail to seek help. It is in everyone’s best interest that individuals with dysfunctional sleep be diagnosed and treated so as to avoid the detrimental ramifications; which not only affect the individual but also those around them.

Here are just a few examples:

• Drowsy driving leading to a motor vehicle accident.
• Daytime fatigue affecting job performance & causing a work-related accident or death.
• Untreated sleep apnea causing heart attack or stroke.
• Severe snoring leading to divorce.

It is time to wake up and take sleep more seriously. Help us spread the word.

COMMUNITY SLEEP COACH INC is an official World Sleep Day Delegate. Visit us on March 17th for our World Sleep Day OPEN HOUSE and learn more about this important subject. You can view World Sleep Society’s official updated press release here.

If Daylight Savings has left you out of sorts, go ahead and take a nap when you get the opportunity. National Napping Day, March 13th follows the time change which occurred yesterday, March 12th. Many people may choose to take advantage of this special day which will help them recover from losing an hour of sleep.

Daylight Savings was introduced to reduce energy consumption though now there is some debate as to whether this is still true. From a health perspective, time change is detrimental to our sleep since it throws off our body’s internal clock.  As a sleep educator & advocate, I stress the importance of proper sleep hygiene which includes keeping a regular bedtime and wake time for optimal sleep health.

It is particularly disturbing to us in the spring when we lose an hour. The immediate and lingering effects of sleep deprivation can leave you fatigued, irritable and less alert. It is no wonder that people are more accident-prone during this time of year. It is crucial to be mindful of these consequences. Next year, try your best to “spring forward” in small increments over the course of the previous week to assist in mitigating the negative effects. See our previous blog post.

If you need to recharge, LIMIT your NAP TIME to 20 minutes or less. Once you sleep beyond 20 minutes, you may have already entered Delta Sleep (deep sleep). Waking from Delta Sleep can be disorienting and difficult. So stick to 20 minutes or less and you’ll have a refreshed outlook on the rest of your day.

SLEEP AWARENESS WEEK IS HERE!

As you know, Sleep Awareness Week begins March 5th and culminates with Daylight Savings on March 12th.

Moving our clocks forward is a trying time for many. Losing an hour of sleep can leave you feeling rundown and “jet-lagged” for 2 or 3 days afterward.

Here is a simple tip to help you ease into SPRINGING FORWARD which we hope will take that zombie feeling out of your work or school day on March 13th.

Starting this evening, Monday, March 6th, eat supper 10 minutes earlier than usual. Then head to bed 10 minutes sooner as well. But before you forget, be sure to also adjust your alarm so it wakes you 10 minutes earlier tomorrow morning. Repeat these steps each of the following days so by the time Sunday, March 12th rolls around, you’ll already have shifted your internal clock by 1 hour.

Good luck!

PS…. We hope to see you at tomorrow’s Open House. See event page for details.