World Sleep Day: it’s the holiday you didn’t know you were waiting for.
One way to celebrate would be to spend all of March 15th snoozing. But if your boss, friends, or loving pets aren’t into that, there are still plenty of ways you can stretch the celebratory spirit throughout the year (without totally checking out of society).
Here are 5 tried and true tips shared and modeled by the OSTRICHPILLOW team to help you enjoy a few more moments of relaxation and rest no matter where life takes you. That’s something worth celebrating.
“Listen to your body,” Mariana - Happiness Manager
We’ve all got a our own internal clock that keeps us ticking. Some people crave a mid-morning snack, others get antsy after too long sitting down, and all of us have different moments when our eyelids start to feel heavy. Paying attention to how your body feels is the first step in giving it what it needs.
Listening to your body is especially important for travellers whose internal clocks might not match their current time zone, and even in your day to day life it can help you plan things - like long meetings - for times when you know you’ll actually be fully awake.
Though it sounds basic, get into the habit of pausing to pay attention to how you feel. Thirsty? Hungry? Sleepy? Then figure out how, in that moment, you can give your body what it needs. There’s no shame in a quick nap.
“Find inner calm,” Paz - Communications Manager
Who hasn’t found themselves reliving their most mortifying moments or running through a to-do list instead of getting any sleep? It turns out that blocking distractions takes more than just putting on a sleep mask and covering your ears.
One of the best ways to quiet your thoughts so that you can focus on the serious business of falling asleep is by using breathing exercises. A popular techniques is called 4-7-8, where you breath in through your nose for four seconds, hold the breath for seven, and then exhale slowly through your mouth for eight.
Besides replenishing oxygen in the body and helping you relax, counting your breaths had another added benefit: it gives you something to focus on other than that stupid thing you said that one time four years ago.
“Discover new napportunities,” Fran - Product Design Intern
Life gets busy. Naps get put off. You feel tired.
If you want to up your sleep game you’ll need to take advantage of napportunities, those in-between moments that pop up unexpectedly in our schedules and that are hard to plan for.
Whether it’s listening to a white noise app as you drift to sleep or keeping a special pillow handy to support that ultra specific position that helps you pass out, making sure you have what you need to sleep soundly can transform these moments from time spent mindlessly scrolling on Twitter to a restful napping experience.
“Be prepared - quality over quantity,” Juan - Product Designer
Research shows that sleep quality, not quantity, is more important when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. For travellers that’s good news, because it means it’s possible to arrive at your destination well-rested even if long flights, layovers, and time zone changes have thrown your usual sleep schedule out of whack. To do that, you’ve got to be prepared.
One way to deal with this disruption and make every second you spend snoozing truly count is to create a familiar sleep routine that lets your body know it’s time to rest. It can be things as simple as drinking tea, reading a book, or getting into a comfortable and familiar position. The only trick is finding something that replicates the habits and comfort of home even while you’re on the go.
Find what works, make sure to bring it on your trip, and suddenly those 10 hour flights won’t seem so daunting.
“Be bold, sleep better,” Maca - Sales Manager
We’ve all got our own rhythms and preferences, which means there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to sleep.
That’s why some of the best advice you can get when it comes to sleep is so simple: do what works for you. If that means a nap at your desk after lunch, or using an unusual pillow on the train, or listening to whale songs on your phone, so be it.
Be bold and dream deeply - because at the end of the day, a better rested you is, well, a better you.
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