We support individuals and organisations to “strengthen their resilience”. This is one of our strategic goals. Part of this relates to the importance of taking care of our health and wellbeing, especially given the pressures faced. How can we all do better in taking care of ourselves and those around us?
Sleep is often not given much attention, yet it is crucial to our health and wellbeing. How can we sleep better? And what are the benefits? According to scientists we spend around 30% of our lives asleep. Recently we did some learning about it with a sleep specialist, Joanna Kippax from Wye Sleep. She underscored what a big difference sleep makes. See our infographic (below).
For instance, whilst it’s often stated that people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night on average, the need for it changes every day. Joanna highlighted how sleep helps our memory. Also, how it is an important to learning. Furthermore, during sleep the brain is “power washed” and waste products are removed. It can be damaging if you don’t sleep well for an extended period.
Sleep is sometimes compared to surfing?! To catch the wave as effectively as possible, a surfer needs to have the best possible preparation, timing, environment and mindset. It’s similar for a good sleep. Many things can interrupt us of course. Hence, like surfing, sleep is not easy.
There are steps we can take to build the need for sleep: e.g., exercise and being mindful of screentime. To find out more, watch this 13-minute Ted Talk.
Change maker of the week:
Quote of the week
“Discover the great ideas that lie inside of you by discovering the power of sleep." Arianna Huffington
Best wishes,
Rosie, Lorna and Ian