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There are many lifestyle habits and factors that contribute to your overall wellness, but did you know that sleep is one of the top three pillars of a healthy lifestyle, according to scientific research?

In combination with nutrition and exercise, regular, quality sleep can have a profound positive effect on your overall health. On the flip side, a lack of sleep can be detrimental to your health and hinder the achievement of your fitness goals.

In fact, chronic sleep deprivation is a major contributing factor to the development of cardiovascular and chronic diseases, which can lead to quality of life issues and even shorten lifespan. The effect on cognitive and motor performance—which increases the risk of motor vehicle crashes and work-related injuries and fatal accidents—is also a detrimental consequence of poor sleep health, according to The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

Optimized Rest & Habits

The AASM recommends that adults should sleep 7 hours or more per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health, and that adequate duration, good quality, timing, and regularity of sleep are some of the ways in which to achieve healthy sleep habits. 

Consistency and Regularity

You can improve sleep regularity by improving your sleep environment, quality of sleep, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule to reinforce healthy sleep habits by:

• Limiting daytime naps

• Having a sleep time routine

• Including physical activity in your daily routine

• Managing worries

• Paying attention to what you eat and drink. Don't go to bed hungry or be too full.

Environment

You can create a restful and optimal sleep environment by keeping your sleeping space:

• Cool

• Quiet

• Dark (and avoid technology for at least 30 mins before going to bed, blue light that is emitted from devices can suppress melatonin levels)

• Well ventilated and dust free (vacuum daily and look into using air purifiers to reduce the snoring that is triggered by reactions to airborne particles)

• Clutter free (in order to minimize dust and distractions)

Improving Your Quality of Sleep

What’s interesting is that the quality of your sleep can hinge on many factors as well, including:

• Your diet (limit caffeine late in the day, avoid eating too close to bedtime, too much sugar before bedtime can leave you feeling too hyped to sleep)

• Stress levels

• Movement patterns and daily activity levels (we need 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week to reduce levels of daytime sleepiness, but physical activity too close to bedtime can increase adrenaline, which hinders sleep) 

• Your sleep environment —sound, lighting, mattress, quality and material of bedding, room temperature, air quality, and air flow—is a contributing factor to optimal sleep quality

• The correct mattress for your body type, posture, and sleep position.

• Exposure to toxic chemicals in your bedding or mattress.

• Using sheets and bedding that are organic, breathable, and free from dyes and harmful chemicals.

Start With Comfort

Making the above improvements to your sleep habits may seem like long and daunting tasks, but one of the best and easiest ways to get started is by examining the sheets and bedding that cocoon you as you sleep. 

Updating your linens can be a quick way to ensure that you enjoy a restful night’s sleep, but where does one even begin when there is a plethora of bedding products being advertised out there? Let’s consider the most common factors when it comes to sheets, quilts, and comforters or duvets:

Consider the Fabric 

Synthetic fabrics can be chock-full of dyes and chemicals, and can trap heat, causing you to get too hot while asleep and leading to poor sleep quality, restlessness and frequent waking. 

Choosing quality, organic cotton sheets that are breathable will allow you to self-regulate your temperature for a more restful sleep experience.

The finish of the fabric can also provide additional comfort. For example, sateen finished cotton is very soft and plush, while moisture-wicking cotton may be preferred by those who tend to overheat during the night.

For my own family, I choose breathable, organic cotton sheets from Saatva. 

What is nice is that I can use the Saatva sateen sheets all year around, while using additional layers like the beautiful organic velvet diamond quilt as a top layer for colder winter temperatures.

Thread Count: Higher Isn’t Always Better

Thread count is the number of vertical and horizontal threads woven into fabric per square inch. Most people assume that the higher the thread count, the better the quality of the fabric will be—unfortunately that is not the case at all. 

In fact, thread counts above the 400 to 500 range usually indicate manipulation of fibers to artificially inflate the numbers, and may actually be far inferior to other linens with lesser thread counts.

I prefer to choose a 300 thread count and look for a certified organic label such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The GOTS certification requires that a product meet the following criteria:

• Contain at least 95% organic fiber

• Not be treated with bleach, formaldehyde or any other toxic substances

• Be colored with nontoxic dyes

• Be produced in a mill that enforces strict social and environmental standards in order to treat employees and the earth with respect

Choose the Correct Detergent

You and your sheets will benefit from weekly washings to keep them fresh and get rid of dust mites. Dust mites can cause or exacerbate allergies and lead to a disrupted night's sleep as you scratch, sneeze and cough throughout the night

I would stay away from using any harsh detergents since the dyes and perfumes in laundry soap can also cause skin and respiratory irritation and sensitivities in many people. 

Happy Sleeping

A more restful sleep requires a holistic approach that involves optimizing your sleep environment and improving your overall lifestyle habits.

Start small, make improvements to your sleep sanctuary, and work your way towards waking up each and every day feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world.