Laughter could be the key to a good night's sleep, according to the experts
Struggling to sleep soundly? Well, according to the experts, the secret to a good night's sleep could be having a good belly laugh just before you go to bed.
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a neurophysiologist and sleep expert, explained that laughter is like a release, which "decreases stress hormones and relaxes your muscles".
Speaking to Stylist, she said: "Especially in these challenging times, it is important that we allow ourselves moments of joy, mirth and happiness, to counterbalance the anxiety, fear and uncertainty which cause disrupted sleep."
It can often be hard to find joy in these unprecedented times, but this shows that laughter really is the best medicine — something we could all use more of.
According to a recent survey conducted by King's College London, almost 63% of people said that their sleep has worsened in recent months due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
"Adequate and good-quality sleep is important to maintain our physical and mental resilience and disturbed sleep is often caused by stress," Dr Ivana Rosenzweig, Head of the Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre at King's College London, said in the study.
"But we also know that poor sleep can play a role in increasing our levels of stress, which can create a cycle that's difficult to break. This is reflected by the findings that this effect was greater for those most vulnerable and those who were more concerned about the pandemic."
Whether you enjoy watching a funny TV show or catching up with your best friend over the phone, take some time to have a laugh before dozing off...
Need some more advice on sleeping soundly? Take a look at our advice on how to protect your sleep when working from home.
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