How are you sleeping and how much do you value your sleep?

The stay-at-home order has undoubtedly fundamentally changed the everyday lives of citizens around the world. With this sudden shift comes a new lifestyle with new priorities. SACCNY is tapping into its vast network of industry leaders and experts to share with you the industry insights on healthy and effective lifestyle tips under COVID-19.

In collaboration with SACCNY member Hästens Beds, we are proud to share some advice from wellness experts on the role of sleep while staying at home and its enormous impact on personal health.

Hästen’s ‘Sleep Spa’ remains closed on Madison Avenue while New York City remains locked down.

Good sleep can go a long way, which we already knew, but you should hear it from the leading industry experts themselves. Hästens is working with the world’s leading sleep authority, Dr. Michael Breus, also known as The Sleep Doctor. Recently featured in Forbes, today he shares with us his best sleep advice during self-quarantine and how good sleep can boost your immune system against Coronavirus:

7 steps to a good night’s sleep

1.  Give yourself an electronic curfew of 90 minutes prior to lights out: this will put you on a MEDIA DIET before bed (and slow your information flow), keep you away from blue light, and if you wear blue light blocking glasses, help you wind down before bed.

2.  Consider mediation or relaxation while falling asleep – techniques to calm your brain before bed.

3.  Compile a gratitude list (while lying in bed, in the dark): many people think stressful thoughts as they fall asleep (which makes sense it’s the first time all day you get to think by yourself), but that causes increases in our fight or flight hormones, so thinking less stressful or positive thoughts can help reduce these stressful feelings and help with sleep (improves deep sleep and more positive dreams).

4.  Keep your schedule consistent: the more consistent your wake-up time, the more consistent your overall body functions. Avoid extra napping if you are homebound – it will only disrupt your nighttime sleep.

5.  Lower stimulants and depressants: caffeine and alcohol – if you are already stressed out, adding caffeine to the mix is NOT a great idea, it will only increase the unwanted side effects. Alcohol, while making you feel sleepy, does NOT get you quality rest, which will make you feel even more stressed with a hangover the next day and less able to fight a virus.

6.  Take a hot shower of bath 90 minutes before bed: wash off all those germs and increase your core body temperature, which will decrease once you get out of the tub, and help produce natural Melatonin.

7.  Make sure your environment is clean: use filtration for air, wash sheets 2x per week (in HOT water), try to do an overall deep cleaning of your bedroom, you will be spending a lot of time there!

sleep is necessary for your immune system to run as efficiently as possible

• Sleep fosters T Cell production
  • T Cells are white blood cells that play a critical part in the immune system’s response to viruses. Sleep deprivation, meanwhile, stops T Cells from responding efficiently – and makes it more difficult for the body to fight back against illnesses.
• The immune system’s response time is also improved by getting a good night’s sleep.
  • By completing the four sleep cycles, you’re supporting the release and production of cytokine, a multifaceted protein that helps the immune system quickly respond to antigens.
• Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco highlighted this last year:
  • Their findings indicated poor sleep was the number one factor in determining whether someone would get sick after being exposed to the cold virus.

At the Sleep Spa on Madison Avenue, Hästens educates people about sleep and fits the right bed for each individual. Each bed is handcrafted and 100% free from latex and foam.

If you would like to understand more about sleep and how it impacts your health, please reach @hastensglobal on Instagram.