When was the last time you had a good sleep?  Or you had the time to have a long sleep?

Sleep is a precious activity that seems to be in short supply to many.  With the 24/7 flow of life, the flood of entertainment and information in our personal gadgets, on top of attending to the requirements of a career, there is hardly time for sleep. In fact, we give up sleep to do something else, like watch a movie marathon.

The problem of sleep, especially of having good sleep, is reflected in the many sleeping aids that are sold in the market – from pills, pillows, scents of nature, sounds of bells, sea, or rain, bracelets, and books. In the internet, there are organizations that offer information on how to take command of sleep. That shows how a big number of people around the world now seek help to sleep because the lack of it results in poor performance at work, mood swings that affect relationships, and a low level of alertness that compromises safety.

“Sleep is one of the three key pillars of health, alongside healthy diet and exercise, and is foundational to our physical, mental, and social well-being,” according to the World Sleep Society, an organization composed of sleep medicine and research professionals. The society, which advocates the value of sleep health, is preparing for the celebration of World Sleep Day on March 15.

World Sleep Day aims to be a celebration of sleep and a “call to action on important issues related to sleep, including medicine, education, social aspects and driving.”  The special day, which started in 2008, aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders. More than 88 countries around the world have participated in World Sleep Day which was started by a group of healthcare providers and medical professionals working in the area of sleep medicine and research.

The day was organized because the sleep medicine professionals and researchers “came up against the belief that sleep was not important enough in personal health and well-being to be a priority.”

The importance of sleep, especially good quality sleep, is a fact that everyone understands, and wants to achieve.  We spend one third of our lives asleep, but lacking good quality sleep can affect our daily lives and long-term health in many ways.  The studies of sleep experts point out to the following results of lack of sleep: Limits the ability to make decisions; limits attention span, affects general wellbeing and the ability to work productively; increases the risk of developing health conditions like heart disease.

“What is the perfect amount of sleep” is the most frequently asked question that sleep specialists receive.  According to Dr. Clete Kushida, president of World Sleep Society, “the short answer is at least seven hours in length, but a truly restorative sleep depends on duration as well as continuity and depth. Understanding the impact of sleep on physical and mental health is more important than ever before.”

“Sleep equity for global health” is the theme of World Sleep Day 2024.  Sleep is essential to good health and that translates to more creative, productive and happy citizens.

Since Sunday is a day to plan for the week ahead, include a schedule that will make time for sleep.

It’s time to think of sleep as the beginning of tomorrow, not as the end of the day, sleep experts advise.