G’NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT

Sleep trends of 2019 — legit or snoozy? Deprivation can be dangerous in a tech-fuelled life, so we speak to experts for tips to getting and maintaining the best ZZZs ever.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

"Us stressing about the hours we need to sleep, which affects our sleep"

In this Google search era, people are looking up ways to be their best selves (#TeamCLEO included!). That includes showing up at work, being there for friends, family and for yourself with enough energy to be present in all areas. We want to do more, and sleep plays a huge part in helping us do that. It’s also a topic that is getting a lot more attention; NBC News reported that Pinterest found ’sleep optimisation’ was a growing search term this year, which increased by 116 per cent. “ A 2018 survey by Wakefield Research also places Singapore second when it comes to getting the least number of hours of shut-eye. So, are you having trouble with getting quality sleep? Read on for the latest sleep trends this year.

BINGE SLEEPING

We know this... It’s when we've run on a lack of sleep throughout the week. Maybe that extra episode of Black Mirror the night before didn’t help the case, and you’re officially sleep deprived. Then finally, the weekend’s here! Your plans? Sleeping it all away. It’s a ’reward’ for the hard work you put in at the office this week, the late nights out and all that time watching Netflix at home before bed.

Dr Jeevanan Jahendran, consultant otorhinolaryngologist advises strongly against making this a habit. “When you sleep more during the weekend, what you’re actually creating is a problem where on Monday when you wake up, you sort of have a jet-lagged effect, or what you call ’Monday morning blues’,” he says. But he also adds that there’s a way to do this to your benefit, like adding about one to two hours to make up for your lack of sleep. Keep in mind that it’s only a short-term fix!

 
My Reading Room

"The dream: To sleep well every night"

SLEEP VACATION

This is also a sleep trend and there are different ways of looking at it. It doesn’t work if you decide to sleep the entire day because you didn’t get enough sleep the day before. This could mess up your circadian rhythm (a.k.a. your biological clock!), Dr Jeevanan explains. He says if you really want it to work to your advantage, look at sleep vacation as a time to train yourself to make sure you get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Come up with a sleep routine, like taking a bath and dimming the lights so that you can condition yourself to get to bed by 10pm. The idea is getting yourself into a routine and continuing the habit after the sleep vacation.

SLEEP OPTIMISATION

We mentioned how this is becoming a growing search term and it’s because people are getting woke about sleep health. It’s about doing a combination of all the tips mentioned to get enough hours of sleep a day, and making sure we sleep and wake up at the same time every day. More tips? Avoid caffeine and chocolates, maintain a healthy diet, exercise, do yoga and lessen screen time with blue light (use night mode or screen protectors!). Dr Jeevanan especially recommends breathing well through your nose with your mouth closed, both when you’re awake and asleep.

SLEEP SCENTS

Have the best snooze of your life with these essential oils.

1 Lavender: This favourite oil calms the nervous system and lowers blood pressure, keeping you totes zen and in a healthy state of mind.

2 Chamomile: With antiinflammatory properties, chamomile can help relieve insomnia and anxiety.

3 Jasmine: If thoughts are always running through your mind at night, use jasmine to calm the mind and lower stress levels, so you won't have to count sheeps to fall asleep.

“Come up with a routine, like taking a bath and dimming the lights so that you can condition yourself to get to bed by 10pm.”

TEXT AND INTERVIEWS PAMELA CHOO PHOTOGRAPHY DEPOSIT PHOTOS