If you google the word “sleep”, the top news, videos, and write-ups are all about the importance of sleep and the tips to get better quality of sleep and in some cases at least a minimum number of hours, the quality of sleep comes down the list. These startling search results paint a very grim picture of the sleep quality of the general public across the globe.
Sleep is extremely important. It helps our body reboot and repair, whether you are a kid, a working person, a fitness enthusiast, or a person who has lived a long life, sleep helps your body stay healthy. On average we need 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, out of which 3- hours in deep sleep, while the other half is light sleep. Due to several factors, the duration of deep sleep for people has steadily declined and most of us now spend our whole night tossing and turning in light sleep. But we are not doomed to do so.
There are several factors that affect our quality of sleep – including work and life stress. Illness, mental health issues, living conditions, and also the environmental conditions due to global warming and extreme pollution in urban areas. While work and life stress differ from person to person and illnesses and mental health need proper diagnosis, we can cover one aspect of bad sleep on a personal level and that is good living conditions.
Almost all urban areas across the globe are experiencing the side effects of pollution, but what most of us don’t realize is that pollution is not only outdoors but indoors too. Our homes are full of pollutant releasing items and they affect our health adversely overall. Our home items such as plywood furniture, wall paints, cleaning agents, gas stoves, dry-cleaned upholstery, crayons, ACs, fridge, and so many more household items release volatile organic compounds in the indoor air, and long term exposure to these gasses lead to health issues ranging from allergies to cancer.
Sleep time is repair and reboot time for the body and it is while sleeping that we breathe in a higher volume of air per unit of time, so it is especially important to breathe in the fresh air and what better air filter than nature’s lungs themselves – plants.
Plants purify the air 24×7 and they not only remove the toxins but also generate oxygen to give us all healthier air to breathe. Having clean indoor air to breathe means better sleep quality and a rejuvenated body at the start of each day. Plants not only clean the air to help sleep better, but they help improve mental health and reduce depression and anxiety, their mere presence makes things better.
At Ugaoo, we understand that plants play a much larger role in our lives than we know and have understood through experience that plants make life better – in all aspects. So here is a list of ten plants that help you sleep better
- Ferns: The earth’s lungs. Ferns are the oldest form of vegetation on the earth. There is an entire era in the evolution of earth dedicated to these super plants. Such is their carbon and VOC fixing superpower that they managed to fix all the carbon in the atmosphere, thereby reducing its core temperature and plunging the entire planet into the Ice Age. All the fossil fuels we use now are mostly just fossilized ferns. If they can cool down the planet and increase oxygen content there, imagine what they can do to your homes. Extremely easy to grow and care for and a delight to look at.
- Snake Plant: the sansevierias have now been reclassified as Dracaenas, but as Shakespeare said: a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; similarly, the snake plant by any name would still be as impressive. One of the easiest plants to grow and care for, this mother-in-law’s tongue plant is a NASA-certified air purifier and can grow in almost any light condition.
3. Peace Lily: The most sophisticated plant in the indoor plant world – the peace lily is true to its name. Its beautiful leaves and flowers put the mind at ease in seconds. Famous for its long arching leaves and ethereal white flowers, the peace lily is an excellent air purifier and certified by NASA. It cleans your bedroom air at night too, ensuring that you breathe clean while sleeping. 
4. Spider plant: We sincerely believe that the spider plant is one of the most underrated plants and an absolute darling. Place it in a hanging planter, a tabletop planter, or a floor planter, it will live happily everywhere. An excellent indoor air toxin absorber, the chlorophytum, as it is known scientifically is necessary for every home. Extremely easy to care for and can grow in almost all conditions with basic care. 
5. Heartleaf Philodendron: Philodendrons are the oxygen saturators of the tropical forests of the world. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but the heartleaf philodendron is the cutest to keep at home. Philodendrons generate more oxygen per unit surface area of leaves than a vast majority of plants and are so easy to care for, that your cat could garden. 
6. English Ivy Hanging Plant: An excellent air purifier, the English ivy is necessary in homes with moderate sunlight. It is an excellent plant to have if you stay in areas next to roads and highways to absorb that extra dose of VOCs that vehicles generate. 
7. ZZ plant: Also known as the Zanzibar gem, the ZZ plant is the best boy in the group of indoor plants. It removes a majority of organic compounds found in indoor air and also works through the night to give you fresh air. The ZZ plant asks for nothing in return other than any quality of light and a monthly watering schedule. 
8. Aglaonema: Aglaonema or the Chinese Evergreen are the dark horses of the indoor plant world, rarely talked about but can overtake anyone in a race. Be it looks (the foliage ranges from green to bright hot pink and red and every color in between), care (they love low light and low watering), or properties (they are not only air purifying but also lucky as per feng shui). Which other plant can tick all these boxes? As we like to say, if you have a home, we have an aglaonema for you. 
9. Calatheas: The prettiest plants in the plant world, it seems like God took his paintbrushes to these plants. Pet safe, oxygen generators, air purifiers, and possessing their own circadian rhythm, the calatheas are a must for your home. 
10. Areca palm: The most common but the most overlooked indoor plant of the decade, the areca palm is one of the best air purifying plants for homes. If you are not a gardener and can’t fathom what plant to put where just put an areca in every corner you can and it will do the job of keeping your indoor air super clean to guarantee you a good night’s sleep.
There are many more such plants in the world that clean your air and help you sleep better. They alleviate hypertension, improve the mood, and make the home more habitable; thereby, also contributing to a good night’s sleep. Flowering plants with soothing smells like jasmines and gardenias also create a pleasing environment that relaxes our nervous system and helps us sleep better.
So what are you waiting for, go get your plant and sleep better and live better!