The current societal challenges including the Covid-19 crisis, the Ukrainian crisis and the Queensland and NSW flood crisis are all situations, which can massively compromise sleep.
To acknowledge the upcoming World Sleep Day on Friday, 18 March 2022 the Sleep Health Foundation is highlighting that better sleep can help us to cope during challenging times.
The theme for this year, set by the World Sleep Society, is “Quality Sleep. Sound Mind. Happy World”.
The Sleep Health Foundation is partnering with the World Sleep Society to use World Sleep Day as an awareness-raising day.
The aim of the day is to act as a springboard to bring on national conversations about the importance of sleep.
The theme of “Quality Sleep. Sound Mind. Happy World” prompts people to ask:
- How does quality sleep help maintain mental and physical health?
- How might better sleep help people focus during the day and to cope with overwhelming emotions and fatigue?
- Or how might fatigue weigh us down physically, mentally, and emotionally?
World Sleep Day focuses on the importance of quality sleep for these reasons listed above (such as supporting good health and reducing fatigue) as well as the many other reasons that make sleep a foundational pillar of human health.
Chair of the Sleep Health Foundation, Professor Shantha Rajaratnam says, “The stress and challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, the current floods and the conflict in Ukraine are all situations that disrupt sleep.”
“This disruption can be at least partially overcome by short naps and seeking support for anxiety. We also know of the power of relaxation and mindfulness-based techniques that can reduce hyperarousal to allow for better sleep during crises,” says Professor Rajaratnam.
“Appropriately timed caffeine consumption can help reduce fatigue.
“This year the World Sleep Day theme reminds us of the need to harness the power of sleeping to help cope in difficult times.”
