By | Kara Jillian Brown | www.wellandgood.com
The pandemic has been an extremely difficult time to live through, but one added benefit is that you might be getting more sleep. And if you’re fortunate enough to be able to work from home, you may find yourself sleeping in without having to worry about your commute. Rebecca Robbins, PhD, sleep expert and postdoctoral researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, explains that an extra 20 minutes is all it takes to make a difference for your overall health.
“Sleep is of the brain, by the brain, and for the brain,” says Dr. Robbins, quoting sleep psychiatrist Allan Hobson. “If we all increased our sleep by 20 minutes, it would do a world of good for our mood, our health, and our productivity. We’re infinitely more efficient and better able to accomplish work and deliver a higher quality work product when we’re well-rested.”
Data analyzed between March 16 and April 3 from the SleepScore app found that when compared to pre-pandemic data, people were going to bed later at night but they were also sleeping an average of 23 minutes later in the morning, gaining about seven extra minutes of sleep. Additionally, people spent an average of 10 extra minutes in bed, lounging about.
