You should be sleeping outdoors according to research Ladders

You should be sleeping outdoors according to research LaddersYou should be sleeping outdoors according to research LaddersYears ago I spent a summer working at the Many Glacier Hotel in Montanas Glacier National Park. When I welchesnt waiting on guests in the hotels Ptarmigan Dining Room, I was out hiking trails, scurrying up mountainsides, and heading off into the backcountry, where my new friends and I would set up camp and unplug from the world. Some of my favorite moments were the times I spent sleeping outdoors, tucked into my sleeping bag after a long day of trekking across wildflower-laden valleys and the occasional mountain summit. I awoke with the sun feeling refreshed and reinvigorated - a far cry from those mornings in our dorm when my 5 a.m. alarm abruptly sounded for workApparently, I wasnt alone in my assessment that sleeping outdoors just feels better. Many health experts believe that our environments play a big role in our sleeping patterns. In fact, removing ourselv es from distractions such as artificial light, TV screens, and iPhones is almost essential to maintaining a good nights sleep, which helps improve memory, regulate metabolism, and make you less cranky. The health benefits of simply spending time outdoors - from a walk in the forest to lazing on the beach - are also well documented. It only makes sense that bedding down in nature is an ideal way to achieve an optimal you.In 2017, REI published a national study on women and the outdoors that surveyed 2,010 U.S. women, ages 18-35 and across a varied spectrum of income, ethnicity, and education. They found that 73% of those surveyed say they feel liberated or free when spending time outdoors, partially because the outdoors offers them an escape from societal pressures, including social and mainstream media. Moreover, mora than than 85% believe that being outdoors positively affects mental and physical health, happiness, and their overall well-being.Still, for those who would rather ha ve a root canal than spend time (let alone sleep) in the wild, think of it more like a fitness class Just a short bit of time can do wonders for your body, mind, and soul, and in this case you dont even have to be awake.Dr. Kenneth P. Wright Jr., an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulders Department of Integrative Physiology, has been studying the effects of sleep for more than 25 years. At the departments Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, he focuses on the roles that disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms - built-in biological rhythms that naturally work in-sync with the 24-hour day/night cycle - play on everything from obesity and substance abuse to diabetes and mood disorders. In 2017, Wright and his colleagues published a two-study paper in Current Biology involving Colorado campers. Their results found that just one weekend in the outdoors can greatly improve circadian rhythm and in turn, our overall health.Modern electricity delays the human circadian clock, lea ding to a later sleep time and often shortened sleep, Wright says, which in turn can affect greater health issues. However, when you remove yourself from the home environment you also remove the TV and the tech, as well as the light that comes with them.Christina Edwards is a part-time field instructor at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a nonprofit outdoor school that teaches courses in wilderness education. Edwards - who grew up in a rural community outside of San Diego, where she spent a good deal of her childhood outdoors - leads multi-week backpacking trips through the Rocky Mountains, in which participants set up their own camp nightly. People seek out NOLS because theyre looking to disconnect in a lot of ways, which alone can help aid self-esteem and reduce stress, she says. When they camp, they want to disconnect.Just a short bit of time can do wonders and in this case you dont even have to be awake.Edwards sees sleeping outdoors as a return to simplicity. Be ing so close to the earth is something thats really powerful, she says. Its also easy, she notes, to get a good nights sleep when youve spent the day doing something tangible backpacking for hours along a trail, finding a place to bed down for the night, cooking up dinner, and erecting your tent after clearing away rocks and sticks. It all goes back to connecting with nature, and finding your peace anywhere, she says. No matter what their skill level was when they started, this is something that our participants inevitably take away.Edwards grew up with six siblings, and says on thermisch summer nights her entire family would relocate outdoors onto the flat roof of their home and sleep al fresco. When I asked her for a few tips on sleeping outdoors at home, she offered the following First, check the weather. Youll want to pick a night thats warm enough so that you dont need a tent. Be sure and bring a couple more blankets than you think you need - its always colder just before sunr ise - and make sure you have something warm, like a sleeping pad, beneath you. Dont forget your flashlight and, if you have one, your pup (its always better with a four-legged friend).As for your iPhone, books, beverages, etc.? Leave all that stuff inside, she says. Just look at the stars and fall asleep.This article was originally published on Shondaland.com.