Sleep is extremely important. Without it, your mind and body will not receive the rest it needs to undertake the most basic bodily functions, which makes getting enough of it vital to the maintenance of your health and wellbeing.

The connection between hydration and sleep has long been misunderstood. For years, it was thought that the longer you sleep, the more dehydrated you’d wake up. But a recent study turned this theory on its head.

Here, we take a closer look at the findings of this ground-breaking study as well as reveal how you can up those hydration levels for better sleep by night and better wellbeing by day.

Isn’t getting more sleep more dehydrating?

This is the opinion shared by many people. After all the more you sleep, the longer it is between that bedtime water drinking session and that morning thirst quencher.

Yet, according to a pioneering study in the journal Sleep – which analysed some 20,000 adults across the US and China – people who sleep for 6 hours a night wake up more dehydrated than those who sleep for 8.

We’ll let Asher Rosinger, lead author of the study and assistant professor at Penn State University, explain why:

“Vasopressin is released both more quickly and later on in the sleep cycle.

So, if you’re waking up earlier, you might miss that window in which more of the hormone is released, causing a disruption in the body’s hydration. If you are only getting six hours of sleep a night, it can affect your hydration status.

This study suggests that if you’re not getting enough sleep, and you feel bad or tired the next day, drink extra water.”

Getting sleep and hydration just right

Ensuring better sleep and great hydration is a tricky balance to achieve. Ideally, you need to get eight hours of sleep every night for your body to function at its best and remain hydrated and ready for action come morning.

Yet, as lifestyles are busier than ever, getting the recommended amount of shut-eye isn’t always possible.

As Professor Rosinger recommended, drinking more water throughout the day and avoiding the troubling effects of dehydration is the key to improving hydration, even without the right amount of sleep.

Our top tips for upping your water intake

Here at Total Soft Water, we’re passionate about hydration. Great hydration after all unlocks many benefits for your body, mind and soul.

Avoiding dehydration during sleep is particularly important and can impact how you feel the next day.

To keep those hydration levels high from the moment you awaken right up until bedtime and beyond, be sure to sip fluids regularly.

There are some fantastic apps and smart water bottles that provide helpful reminders to drink water.

Drinking water – preferably filtered water – is also more hydrating than consuming sugary, caffeinated or alcoholic beverages.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet that’s full of fruits and vegetables will help you hit that coveted eight glass a day target too. Discover the best water-rich foods and drinks to include in your diet.

Overhauling your sleep schedule is another recommendation that goes hand-in-hand with a healthy lifestyle.

So, be consistent, limit the use of devices, and develop a relaxing bedtime routine that gets you in the mood for sleep.