Sleep: The Forgotten Pillar of Health

With life at full throttle, sleep often falls to the bottom of the priority list. Ironically, it’s one of the most essential foundations of good health—and one many of us are struggling to get right.

Sleep isn’t just about closing your eyes and nodding off. It’s a time when the body quietly gets to work, restoring systems, repairing tissues, and integrating the mental and emotional load of the day. When sleep is lacking—either in quantity or quality—it affects everything from mood and memory to performance and immune resilience.

Why Sleep Matters

We often think of sleep as a passive process. In reality, it’s one of the most metabolically active periods of the day. During sleep:

• The brain consolidates memories and learning

• Muscles and organs repair and regenerate

• The immune system is recalibrated

• Hormonal and metabolic functions are regulated

Missing out on adequate rest means missing out on all of this. And the effects are not just felt the next day—they can build over time, contributing to fatigue, lowered immunity, blood sugar dysregulation, and mental fog.

Quality Over Quantity

Spending eight hours in bed isn’t the same as getting eight hours of good-quality sleep. Poor sleep may look like:

• Waking frequently or too early

• Struggling to fall asleep

• Light, restless sleep

• Using screens late into the night

• Feeling unrefreshed in the morning

The causes are often lifestyle-related—and very fixable.

The Role of Sleep Hygiene

A 2016 Sleep Health Study conducted by the University of Adelaide and the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health found that 26% of Australian adults reported both screen use before bed and ongoing sleep difficulties. Our “always-on” culture is clearly taking a toll.

Improving sleep hygiene is a practical place to start. This means creating both behavioural habits and a sleep-friendly environment that supports healthy rest.

Try This: A One-Hour Screen-Free Wind Down

If there’s one change to make this month, it’s this: switch off all screens one hour before bed.

Replace scrolling or emails with a calming routine—reading a book, listening to music, journaling, chatting, stretching, or doing a short guided meditation. These slower activities help transition the mind and body into rest mode.

Reclaim Your Sleep Sanctuary

Your bedroom should feel like a place of calm, not chaos. Try the following:

• Remove screens and workspaces

• Keep piles of clothes and clutter out of view

• Block light with curtains or shutters

• Minimise noise and keep the room cool

• Turn alarm clocks away from your face

• Switch your phone to flight mode or charge it outside the room

If your pillow is flat or your mattress has lost its support, consider investing in better sleep tools. Comfort matters.

One Month. One Focus.

This month, focus on sleep. Not by overhauling your entire routine, but by experimenting with small changes that create big shifts over time.

Good sleep isn’t a luxury. It’s a cornerstone of health—affecting your physical performance, mental clarity, immune system, and emotional wellbeing.

Let your evenings be slower. Let your bedroom support your rest. Let sleep return to its rightful place in your health plan.