Everyone’s relationship with sleep is different. Maybe you can fall asleep anywhere and anytime, or you’re a night owl who prefers (or can’t help but) to be up until the wee hours of the morning.
It isn’t too late to set a new goal for yourself and try befriending sleep this year. Here are some resources to help you out on your nightly journey to dreamland.
The TED media organization partners with sleep scientist Matthew Walker to explain the wonders of sleep and how its quality corresponds to other functions in your body and vice versa.
The series currently has two seasons with 8 episodes each. Each episode succinctly tackles a sleep-related phenomenon in under 6 minutes. Some of the episodes include “How much sleep do you really need?”, “The surprising health benefits of dreaming”, and “How sleep affects what (and how much) you eat.”
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams (Matthew Walker)
If you couldn’t get enough of Matthew Walker and his way of explaining sleep in the TED series, here is his book where he flexes his knowledge and the recent discoveries in relation to sleep even more.
For a while, the need for sleep and its effect on our bodies was shrouded in mystery, but thanks to a plethora of scientific discoveries in the past two decades, we were able to lift the shroud and understand sleep better than ever before.
Backed by scientific breakthroughs and decades of research, neuroscientist and leading scientific expert in sleep, Matthew Walker answers questions about sleep which may or may not keep you awake at night. Within the book are explanations on how we can harness sleep to make the most out of its benefits to our bodies. It also discusses how dreams inspire creativity and soothe painful memories. Walker breaks down these important scientific discoveries in an accessible and intriguing way.
Headspace Guide to Sleep is a series created by the meditation-centered company, Headspace.
In 20 minutes or less, Headspace debunks sleep misconceptions, provides tips for better quality sleep, and also includes meditations to help lull you into a good night’s sleep.
Some episodes included in the series are: “Putting Your Phone to Sleep,” “The Facts About Sleeping Pills,” and “Putting Insomnia to Bed.”
Now, if you’re just looking for some background noise or simple guided meditations to help you sleep better or fall asleep faster, then maybe YouTube might be the way to go. YouTube is a treasure trove of hours of long relaxing background noises of all kinds. Fall asleep listening to rainforest sounds, the ocean, or even rain in different cities.
Being well rested means different things to different people. Hopefully these things help you learn more about what this means to you. May the rest of your 2022 be a year filled with prioritizing sleep and getting quality zzz’s!
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