How Has a Good Night’s Sleep Become the Ultimate Luxury?

good night's sleep - beautiful woman sleeping

How often do you hear the phrase “sleep is overrated”?

And on the other hand, how often does someone exclaim “sleep is so underrated!”?

Sadly, modern society started viewing sleep as a superfluous and cumbersome pastime at some point, and we haven’t been able to shake it off since. The majority of people still perceive sleep as something that can be eliminated and sacrificed whenever the pace of our high-gear lives demands.

Yet the more we make this sacrifice, the more we realize how important a good night’s sleep actually is, and begin to lament our misguided choices.


How Has a Good Night’s Sleep Become the Ultimate Luxury?


First, why is a good night’s sleep important?

why is a good night sleep important - woman smiling

Sleep has a positive impact on a whole host of bodily functions. It helps boost our immunity. Helps us lose weight. Improves our mood. Keeps our bones healthy and strong. Helps us grow our muscles. Improves our focus and productivity, and it helps our memory.

When we don’t get enough sleep, all of these aspects of our bodies, minds, and lives begin to suffer. Even as little as one night of poor sleep can hinder our wellbeing. Compound this with several nights of poor sleep and this also increases our chances of snoring dramatically, ekkk! 

The less sleep we consistently get, the more pronouncedly worse we will feel. So why, then, do we choose to lose it?
 



A history of sleep

woman covering her face with her blanket in bed

Sleep has evolved in step with humanity. We have adapted our sleeping habits to be able to work the land, to work in the very first factories, to modern city life where the night no longer brings darkness and where we can do anything at any time – work and shop, sleep and eat.

Yet it seems we have never actually been as careless with our sleep as we are now. Perhaps it’s the constant availability of everything that is keeping us awake at night? When we know there are so many choices available to us, and when we are acutely aware of all the things we can do in a day, are we tricked into sleeping less to be able to achieve more?

Choice paralysis

good night sleep - woman on cell phone in dark in bed

Human society has never been as advanced and evolved as it is at this very minute. We can do more than ever before, but this ability is likely robbing us of precious sleep. And it’s causing all kinds of harm to our bodies and minds as a consequence.

Despite the fact that we can choose to do more and sleep less, only when we choose to apparently do less and sleep more will we actually be able to achieve what we are looking for.

Without sleep, our ability to perform at the top of our game is compromised, so our work will suffer. We will be moodier and our emotions will be all over the place, so our relationships will suffer. We will be dazed and hazy, so even the entertainment we seek will not be as enjoyable.

It’s time to start looking at sleep not just as the ultimate luxury, but a luxury that is available to all of us every day – and one that we should indulge in above all others.

How to attain this ultimate luxury

good night's sleep - white ceramic mug on white textile with open book

There are plenty of things you can start doing in order to get more and better quality sleep. Here are some of them:

  • Schedule sleep – Just like you would a meeting or a work-related task, add sleep to your schedule so you can’t skip it.
  • Invest in a better mattress – What you sleep on is incredibly important, so look into getting a comfy mattress that suits your sleep needs.
  • Cut out screen time – The blue light all screens emit boosts the production of cortisol in our bodies, which effectively keeps us awake and makes it difficult to fall asleep. Instead of looking at one before bed, choose an activity that does not involve screens for an hour before bed: read a book, journal, or listen to some soothing music.
  • Establish a routine – Our bodies like routines, so try to establish one that will signal to your mind that it’s time to go to bed. Brush your teeth, do your evening skincare, put on some comfy PJs, journal, drink some tea, or warm milk. Try to do these things at around the same time and in the same order every evening.
  • Find your calming aids – We all have trouble shutting our thoughts out when trying to sleep sometimes, so find an aid to help you. This might be an audiobook, a meditation routine, some light stretches – anything that will help you relax and unwind.
  • Stay cool – More studies are now indicating that a cooler environment promotes better sleeping patterns. Staying cool throughout the night can be difficult for some. Luckily, there are some tips to help hot sleepers remain cool throughout the night and gain more hours of restful sleep. 

Final thoughts

Sleep is a necessity and should definitely not be a luxury that only a few can afford. It’s for this reason that the tips for improving sleeping habits have been created. If there’s another habit to cultivate, it is seeing a doctor for sleep problems, especially if they have been persistent and have gotten in the way of daily work and life. 

Common sleep disorders have available treatment methods. There is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy to treat sleep apnea and its symptoms. Lifestyle changes can address insomnia, and so on.

Instead of looking at a good night’s rest like the unattainable luxury that it isn’t, embrace it for what it is: the best way to spend 7-8 hours a day and your ticket to health and longevity.


Interested in more sleep talk?
Check out our feature on sleep revolution activist Arianna Huffington!