Evezari Sleep Environment Research Institute, "Improve the Quality of Sleep" Like This

Jo Eun-ja, Deputy Director of Evejari Sleep Environment Research Institute (second from left), and senior researchers. [Photo by Evejari]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jonghwa] Total sleep care brand Evezarie Sleep Environment Research Institute emphasized the quality of sleep on the occasion of 'World Sleep Day' and introduced ways to improve it.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has prolonged, the number of people reporting worsened sleep quality has significantly increased. According to the National Health Insurance Service, the number of sleep disorder patients in Korea was about 670,000 in 2020, increasing at an average annual rate of 7.9% since 2016. Since the spread of COVID-19, the number of people complaining of insomnia and other issues has surged, and it is expected to exceed 700,000 this year.

Jo Eunja, Deputy Director of Evezarie Sleep Environment Research Institute, stated, "Changes in lifestyle patterns and increased stress due to COVID-19 are the main causes that have led to a decline in sleep quality, causing people to feel tired even after sleeping," adding, "Poor sleep quality can weaken immune function, so it is important to recover it quickly."

Accordingly, Evezarie Sleep Environment Research Institute introduced three methods for quality sleep: ▲ Checking Sleep Efficiency ▲ Practicing Bedtime Routines ▲ Increasing Deep Sleep.

First, individuals should assess their sleep quality, and an easy method is calculating sleep efficiency. Sleep efficiency is the ratio of actual sleep time to the time spent lying in bed. An appropriate sleep efficiency is at least about 85%. If sleep efficiency is low, even if the time spent in bed is long, one will feel tired the next day due to lack of sleep.

For quality sleep, it is recommended to practice bedtime routines, which means going to sleep in a consistent manner every day. Bedtime routines involve recognizing the bed as a place for sleep and naturally inducing sleep when lying down. First, all pre-sleep activities should be repeated regularly every day. Also, maintain consistent sleep times. Calculate the average actual sleep time over a week and fix the wake-up and bedtime accordingly. Then adjust bedtime based on changes in sleep efficiency.

Efforts to increase deep sleep are also necessary. Melatonin, the sleep hormone that promotes the transition from wakefulness to sleep, is very sensitive to light. Blue light suppresses melatonin secretion, so it is recommended to stop using digital devices such as smartphones at least 2 hours before bedtime. If unavoidable, stop using them at least 30 minutes before sleep. Also, getting enough sunlight during the day helps melatonin secretion at night, aiding deep sleep. Maintaining optimal temperature and humidity during sleep is important. For this, use bedding made of appropriate materials that keep the temperature inside the bedding at 33℃ and humidity at 45-55% consistently.

Meanwhile, the 18th of this month is World Sleep Day, designated by the World Sleep Society. World Sleep Day, created to raise awareness of the importance of healthy sleep, is set annually on the Friday before the vernal equinox.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.