Want to sleep a little better tonight? Excellent, because today we are exploring some cool sleep hacks from around the world! 🌎

In this article, we head to countries including Guatemala, Sweden and South Korea to discuss some unusual sleep tricks.

These hacks for sleep inspire some good practices that will help you sleep better. 😴

Let’s start exploring…

1. Why is sleep so important?
2. How much sleep do we need?
3. What are some sleep hacks from around the world?
   1. #1: The end of pre-sleep worry from Guatemala
   2. #2: Sub-zero sleep hacks from Scandinavia
   3. #3: South Korean super fans
4. Good general hacks for sleep
5. The final word on sleep hacks from around the world

Why is sleep so important?

In terms of general health, sleep is paramount. 💤

It’s the foundation upon which physical and mental wellbeing are built.

You only have to have a bad night of sleep to understand this!

A good night of sleep helps the body recover and repair itself. It also plays a critical role in cognitive functions such as memory, learning and decision-making.

Sleep is also vital for maintaining a healthy weight. It keeps you feeling energetic and reduces the urge to snack through the day. Perfect if you are chasing your summer body or simply want to get rid of your dad bod.

Meanwhile, poor sleep can lead to many health issues, including increased risk for chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Poor sleep can also lead to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

In conclusion… good sleep is goooood!

How much sleep do we need?

Good question.

As adults, we need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. At least 1½ hours of those need to be in the deep sleep zone.

This zone is where your body undergoes important restoration work, like repairing tissue, building muscle, and strengthening your immune system.

So, if you are sleeping less than around 7 hours of sleep, you need to get more of it.

But that’s often easier said than done…

What are some sleep hacks from around the world?

Let’s look at what some other countries are doing to fall asleep, and see if we can learn anything from them.

#1: The end of pre-sleep worry from Guatemala

From central America, this one definitely falls into the ‘hacks to help you fall asleep category’.

The Guatemalans have a cute pre-bed tradition, which can inspire us to get better sleep.

Guatemalan parents are said to occasionally put small colourful handmade toys called ‘worry dolls’ under their children’s pillows at bedtime.

The legend is that these dolls soothe worries that may arise at night, which is said to help the children get a good night of sleep.

This is a fantastic idea.

Yes, we had worries as children, but – if you are like me – then your worries will have multiplied hundreds of times by the time you reach adulthood! 🙃 There’s so much to think about from money to family to relationships, from health to blogging…

And this ruminating can interrupt both falling asleep and staying asleep.

Now, you may not want to have a 2″ colourful doll at your bedside. But it’s still a good idea to write down your worries, anxieties and other thoughts before you go to bed.

Write a to-do list for the next day, or a list of what is worrying you, no matter how trivial.

Just getting the worries out onto paper can really help ease the mind before you close your eyes, which can help you fall asleep much easier.

#2: Sub-zero sleep hacks from Scandinavia

Another interesting sleep tradition comes from Scandinavian countries like Norway and Sweden.

Here, parents apparently leave their babies to nap outside in sub-zero temperatures. ❄️

While I do not endorse this, there is method behind the madness.

The theory is that by napping outdoors in cold temperatures, children are exposed to fresh air and therefore less likely to catch colds and coughs.

Compare this to spending a full day in a warm room with others and you can see the thinking.

Apparently, parents who opt to do this believe that their children sleep better and for longer when in the open air.

Finnish research from 2008 found that children ‘took longer naps outdoors compared with naps taken indoors’.

How can we use this information to help us sleep?

Personally, I believe that having cool fresh air circulate the room helps me sleep better.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine indicates that maintaining a cooler sleep environment (including cooler bedding and sleepwear) can positively impact health, mood, and the aging process.

The best takeaway here is to sleep in a cool room. Or at least try it.

While we all can’t enjoy the brisk weather of Scandinavia, we can lower the temperature in our room by doing the following:

• During the day, keep windows and blinds closed to retain cooler air (especially in the summer)
• During the night, opening the windows to let colder air in
• Use a fan to circulate air around your room, which speeds up evaporation of sweat from body (and keeps us cooler)
• Use an air-conditioning unit

#3: South Korean super fans

The third tradition in our sleep hacks trio comes from South Korea.

The South Koreans have a superstition that fans must always be turned off before bedtime.

Even during the hot and humid weather of summer months, the older generation in South Korea believe in something called ‘fan death’.

This is an old wives’ tale that warns of death if you fall asleep next to an electric fan.

Of course, there is some good sense here.

After all, leaving an electrical appliance running while you are asleep could be dangerous.

However, apparently it has nothing to do with the fan catching fire or malfunctioning. Instead, it is a supposed fear that the air will become too cold and cause death. This is particularly a worry for senior citizens in the country.

As we know from the point above, sleeping in a cooler room with the aid of a fan can be sensible if the weather is uncomfortably warm.

Additionally, the sound of a fan can help aid sleep.

The so-called ‘white noise’ sound can help people fall and stay asleep, whether that’s from a fan, vacuum cleaner, tumble dryer or so on.

If you struggle to fall asleep, having the gentle drone of a fan through the night can help you drift off.

However, if you aren’t keen on leaving an electrical appliance on all night, you may want to use a white noise generator.

You can buy special devices for this, or simply use an app on your smartphone.

Good general hacks for sleep

Let’s end this article with a few other sleep hacks that aren’t tied to any one country.

🌑 Exercise during the day. Regular exercise can help you sleep better at night. Whether that’s a high-intensity lifting session or just a nice walk, do something. Just make sure to end your exercise session at least 90 minutes before bed.

🌑 Ditch your devices. Leave your smartphone outside your bedroom, to avoid late-night scrolling and middle-of-the-night distractions. Plus, blue screens can really interrupt your ability to fall asleep.

🌑 Avoid caffeine late in the day. Drink your last caffeinated beverage for the day no later than six hours before bed. So, if you go to sleep at 11pm, avoid coffee, tea or cola from around 5pm onwards.

🌑 Limit fluids late in the day. If you have a habit of waking up to pee in the night, aim to limit the fluids you drink around four hours before bed. Hydrate earlier in the day.

🌑 Try some supplements. One word: magnesium. This is an essential nutrient that we often fail to get enough of. It can aid sleep and is therefore worth supplementing (always check with your doctor first).

🌑 Use lavender. This is an old one, but it works! Research and anecdotal evidence shows that the aroma of lavender can improve sleep quality. Use dried lavender, lavender oil, or a pillow spray containing the essential oil.

🌑 Eat a kiwi! You may have read my article on how eating kiwis can help sleep. If not, read it and try it for yourself!

🌑 Don’t force it. If you really can’t sleep, get out of bed and do something calming. Read a book or listen to music, then go back to bed when you are feeling sleepy.

The final word on sleep hacks from around the world

At the end of the day, sleep is important (pun intended). So make sure you are prioritizing it.

While you don’t need to follow each of these global hacks for sleep to the letter, they all inspire good sleep hygiene:

• Write down your worries before you go to sleep
• Sleep in a cool airy room
• Use white noise to create a relaxed, distraction-free environment

Goodnight! 🌚