World Sleep Day
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Overview
World Sleep Day is an annual event that aims to raise awareness about the importance of sleep for overall health and well-being. Observed on the Friday before the March Equinox, this day encourages individuals to appreciate the benefits of good sleep and promote better sleep practices worldwide.
Origin and story
The first World Sleep Day was celebrated in 2008 by the World Sleep Society.
Sleep loss is linked to numerous health issues, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Quick facts
- DateMarch 13
- TypeHealth / Wellness
- Great forWellness groups, Gyms, Health classes
Also on this date
Ways to celebrate
World Sleep Day doesn't have a fixed date, and the reason why hints at something surprising historians have found about how humans used to sleep.
Why the date moves every year
World Sleep Day has been held every year since 2008, organized by the World Sleep Society (formerly the World Association of Sleep Medicine). Rather than a fixed calendar date, it's deliberately scheduled for the Friday before the March equinox each year, so the exact date shifts annually.
The unbroken "eight hours" you're chasing may be a modern invention
Historian A. Roger Ekirch's research into diaries, court records, and literature going back to Homer's Odyssey found that before artificial lighting, people commonly slept in two segments, a "first sleep" and a "second sleep," with an hour or more of quiet wakefulness in between used for prayer, chores, or conversation. A 1990s NIMH study that deprived subjects of artificial light found their sleep naturally reorganized into that same two-part pattern, suggesting the single unbroken block many people stress over chasing may not be as universally "natural" as modern sleep advice assumes.
Practical ways to mark the day
- Keep a consistent bedtime and wake time this week rather than just for one night.
- Cut screen time before bed and dim the lights an hour or two earlier than usual.
- If you wake up in the middle of the night, try not treating it as a failure — it may be closer to how humans slept for most of history.
Helpful resources: World Sleep Day, the official campaign site, and Harper's Magazine, "Segmented Sleep" by A. Roger Ekirch.
Did you know?
A 2019 economic estimate found sleep deprivation costs the US economy more than $400 billion a year, with Japan, Germany, the UK, and Canada each losing tens of billions more.
Fun facts
- The first World Sleep Day was celebrated in 2008 by the World Sleep Society.
- Sleep loss is linked to numerous health issues, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
- Naps, when taken properly, can improve alertness and cognitive function.
- The global theme for World Sleep Day changes every year, focusing on different sleep issues.
- Around 60% of adults report having sleep problems at some point in their lives.
Sources and attribution
Primary sources: World Sleep Day and Harper's Magazine, "Segmented Sleep" by A. Roger Ekirch.
External links may lead to third-party websites.
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FAQ
- When is World Sleep Day?
- It is observed on the Friday before the March equinox each year.
- What is World Sleep Day?
- World Sleep Day raises awareness about healthy sleep and sleep disorders.
- How do people celebrate World Sleep Day?
- People focus on consistent sleep habits for the week, and many learn about historian A. Roger Ekirch's research showing that segmented, two-part sleep was the historical norm before artificial lighting made a single unbroken block the modern expectation.
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