World Sleep Day - 18th March

Friday, March 18, is  World Sleep Day, an international event intended to celebrate the act of sleeping and to help raise awareness for bedtime-related issues. World Sleep Day is held every year on March 18th, with a view to raise awareness about the merits of sleeping well for a healthy life. The theme for this year (2011) is promoting healthy sleep for all ages. Sleep is a basic human need—a crucial component of healthy living, much like breathing, eating and remaining physically fit.

However, nowadays many people are having problems of difficulty of sleeping and caused insomnia or sleeping disorders. Lack of quality sleep can lead to accidental injuries, hyper/hypo activity, obesity, emotional problems (irritability, aggressiveness), impaired memory and/or decreased attention span. Sleep disorders also make it more difficult to control diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease.

"Sleep is of vital importance for children of all ages," says Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric sleep medicine. "Getting a full-night's sleep will help children function at their best both at home and at school. Sleep is essential for a child's happiness and well-being."


To help improve children' sleep and overall wellness, 10 Commandments of Healthy Sleep for Children are created as below:

1.Make sure your child gets enough sleep by setting an age-appropriate bedtime and wake time.


2.Set consistent bedtime and wake-up times on both weekdays and weekends.


3.Establish a consistent bedtime routine and recommend wearing comfortable clothes in bed, including strong absorbing diapers for infants.


4.Encourage your child to fall asleep independently.


5.Avoid bright light at bedtime and during the night and increase light exposure in the morning.


6.Keep all electronics, including televisions, computers and cell phones, out of the bedroom and limit use of electronics before bedtime.


7.Maintain a regular daily schedule, including consistent mealtimes.


8.Have an age-appropriate nap schedule.


9.Ensure plenty of exercise and time spent outdoors during the day.


10.Eliminate foods and beverages containing caffeine.


Some of the facts above are also applicable to adults. With good quality of sleeping, we can only have strong immune system for our body and become a strong healthy person. Thus, wish all of you would have a good sleep from today onwards. Enjoy your sleeping!