Friday, March 17th is World Sleep Day. It’s a good day to think about your sleep habits, and what you can do to improve them.

Huffington Post has commemorated the occasion with advice from sleep specialist Dr Frédérique Aussert. We found this to be particularly interesting:

There are a few other things you can try to help you relax and unwind. For example, spraying lavender essential oil on your pillow can have a sedative effect, and herbal teas, such as passion flower and valerian, are known to promote sleep. Limit yourself to one small cup to keep night time toilet trips to a minimum.

UAE publication Gulf News also has a piece on World Sleep Day with some troubling statistics: according to a survey, only 12% of respondents in the UAE get the recommended eight hours of sleep per night. One reason might be that per the same survey, 82% of respondents check work email before going to sleep. As we’ve covered elsewhere, this can have multiple negative effects: in addition to causing potential stress, exposing yourself to a bright screen after sunset can interfere with your natural sleep schedule.

Here at Adaptive Sound Technologies, we think about good sleep every day. If you can find only one day a year to take a look at your sleep habits and what you could be doing to sleep better, today’s a great day to do it.