Engaging in this specific outdoor pursuit might hold the secret to enhancing slumber during the summer months.
Get Your Garden Gloves On for Sweet Dreams
Want to catch some z's like a baby? Ditch those nightcaps and dreams of cloud-soft mattresses, because we've got the ultimate secret to better sleep: gardening. Yeah, you heard that right. Tending to your greenery is the hobby you didn't know you needed this summer. Here's why:
- Sunshine Serenade
Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski, sleep guru, spilled the beans: "Bright light exposure, especially from the sun, is key for regulating our sleep-wake cycles." When your garden calls, you're likely to answer with a dash of daylight, helping your brain suppress melatonin and, in turn, promoting good sleep at night.
- Break a Sweat, Sleep Ever So Sweet
Regular exercise is the magic potion for sweet dreams. Gardening's got your back there, since it involves plenty of digging, weeding, and watering, keeping you active without making you feel like you're stuck on a treadmill. Just add 30 minutes a day, and voila! Better sleep here you come.
- Vitamin D Daydreams
Vitamin D, that essential ally for bones and now sleep, is yours for the taking while gardening. The grinning sun greets your little potted friends, and you say "hello” to a happier ZZZ dreamland.
- Natural Anxiety Antidote
Stress? Gardening's got you covered. Michael Griffiths, a.k.a. the Mediterranean Gardener, suggests that pottering around your garden acts as a stress-reliever, as it slows things down and takes your mind off things. Better yet, a 2024 meta-analysis found that gardening directly impacts mental health, so let those garden thoughts wash your worries away.
- Garden Groceries for Rest
Feed your body and mind with sleep-inducing edible and aromatic plants. Try chamomile, lemon balm, and lavender, as recommended by our gardening guru, Michael Griffiths. Oh, and did you know that eating more fruits and vegetables can up your sleep game? So, go ahead and plant your very own sleep pillows.
And remember, for optimal results, get your garden groove on earlier in the day and practice multiple times a week. Stay focused on your plants and ditch the distractions for a meditative gardening experience that's bound to help you catch those elusive ZZZs.
- Science reveals that bright light exposure from the sun, such as during gardening, is crucial for regulating our sleep-wake cycles (Sunshine Serenade).
- Fitness-and-exercise is promoted through gardening activities like digging, weeding, and watering, providing a form of regular exercise needed for better sleep (Break a Sweat, Sleep Ever So Sweet).
- The essential vitamin D, which supports bones and sleep, can be absorbed while gardening under the sun's rays (Vitamin D Daydreams).
- Gardening acts as a natural stress reliever, slowing things down and taking your mind off stressors, thereby improving mental health and contributing to better sleep (Natural Anxiety Antidote).
- Incorporating sleep-inducing edible and aromatic plants like chamomile, lemon balm, and lavender into your home-and-garden can benefit your body and mind, helping you catch more ZZZs (Garden Groceries for Rest).
