For Sleeptember, we are running a series of guest blogs from some of our key partners who support the work we do and help us to share positive messages around sleep.
This week, we are delighted to invite Rahul Sheemar from not-for-profit organisation, Hullo, who have ‘conversation’ at the heart of everything they do. Rahul will be sharing his thoughts about why sleep is so important and how it can help us have better conversations, build social connections and contribute to our health and wellbeing.
The Relationship between Sleep and Social Connections
One thing that all of us share is a need for sleep. Whether we’re working all day long, studying for exams, or take part in sport, we all eventually go to sleep so that our minds and bodies can recover.
Sleep is important for our overall health and wellbeing, our relationships with others and our performance at work, in our studies and our hobbies. In fact, sleep is so essential that the average human spends a third of their life sleeping (according to data from Dreams)!
At Hullo, our vision is a world where everyone has someone to chat to. Some people can go weeks or even months without chatting to someone and the pandemic has only exacerbated social isolation, mental health issues and loneliness. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to chat and connect with others, and that conversation allow individuals and communities to come together.
We also recognise the impact that lack of sleep, or a deficiency in quality sleep, can have on our ability to connect with others and build relationships. Studies from the University of Pennsylvania suggest that around 40% of individuals affected by insomnia also suffer from a mental health disorder and approximately three quarters of adults suffering from depression are impacted by insomnia. These figures point out the strong relationship between sleep and our wellbeing. Once we have problems sleeping and our wellbeing and mood is negatively impacted, we are more likely to struggle to interact with others.
At Hullo, we believe that a key tool for tackling sleep-related issues is conversation. The more we can chat about problems concerning sleep, the more we can do to help ourselves and those suffering. Through conversation, we can develop better sleep schedules, discover resources that will help us sleep better, and emphasise the importance of good quality sleep. By doing this, we can hopefully improve our sleep and general wellbeing, to build social connections and move one step closer to a world where everyone has someone to chat to.
Click here for more information about Hullo and to get involved.