A seaside stroll may help you sleep better, longer
During the Victorian era people believed the ocean had healing properties. Turns out, they might have been right.
According to a Huffington Post article, studies have shown that coastal dwellers live healthier lives. Now new research suggests that those who walk by the shore average almost an hour of extra sleep more than those who don’t.
“It’s clear there is something really special about the coast that can allow people to boost their mood, relax and sleep,” says Eleanor Ratcliffe, a psychologist who conducted the study for the United Kingdom’s National Trust, a conservation nonprofit.
For the study, about 100 adults, many of whom identified as walkers, trekked an average of seven miles in one day. Half the participants walked on coastal paths in Dorset, Wales and other coastal areas, while the other group walked inland by parks and woods.
Those who walked by the sea slept an average of 47 minutes longer than the landlubbers, the study concluded. Additionally, they had greater alertness the next morning.
Researchers speculate that this may be due to positive associations between beach and vacation, the article notes.
“Given relationships between restorative environments and a sense of escape or ‘being away’ from daily life, it may be that coastal walkers felt more able to relax and let go in these environments due to their associations with holidays, with potential effects on sleep length,” Ratcliffe says.
But even without an ocean view, all the walkers reported feeling happier, calmer and better rested the morning after their walks.
