Sleep—it's free but a lot of us don't get enough of it. Sleep is something we do every day, and yet the quality from person to person differs. While sleep is such a basic function of the body, the sad part is that a lot of us aren't aware of how vital it is to our well-being as a whole. Wonder why you're so grumpy or extra hangry when you haven't had enough sleep? You guessed right—lack of sleep has something to do with it. Chronic lack of sleep has also been linked to many other negative effects on our heath: Acne-prone skin, certain diseases, impaired brain function, among many. 

For World Sleep Day, we at Metro aim to help every single one of you get the best quality ZZZs you could possibly get. Deep, restful, rejuvenating, and regenerative sleep that allows you to thrive every single day. To help us, we rounded up some of our favorite wellness experts to share with us their best tips for getting the best shut-eye every night. 

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Joanne dela Rama, Certified Life & Grief Coach

"Besides most of the sleep tips (turning off lights, avoiding screens, and not eating too close to bedtime), try this approach: Sleep with a grateful heart. Before you sleep, take a moment to reflect on the good things that happened during the day. Gratitude shifts the focus away from worries and toward blessings, helping your subconscious mind replay positive experiences instead of stress or negativity."

Kara Gozali-Agas, MD, Doctor

"Honestly, the top 3 tips for better sleep? First, turn the lights off and put your gadgets away. Basically, hitting “DND” on the world will help improve your sleep quality— no light disturbances, no notifications. The second is watching what you eat. Avoid anything with caffeine (chocolate, candy, and yes, even your favorite tea!) that could either keep you up or give you reflux (which worsens while lying down!). Last but not least, put your worries to rest. Nothing like a quiet mind for some sound sleep."

Maria Campos Lopez, Baby Sleep & Parenting Coach and Founder of Himbing.ph

"A good routine and good timing! Also, maybe the first step is to prioritize sleep and see it as important."

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Stephanie Zubiri, Holistic Wellness Coach & Founder of Soulful Feasts

"The number one tip I have for sleep is to wind down an hour before bed. Avoid your screen time use. i know it's hard; most of us stay on right until we sleep, but I usually lessen that. Scott taught me to turn off all the top lights, set the mood that we're winding down, it's the evening, low light, lamp light, and then being away from your screen time because the blue light keeps you awake. Then have small rituals. I like to have a shower or a bath before I sleep. I warm up my body, I have lotions, body oils, and then kind of get comfortable. Even if I watch a TV show, I don't necessarily watch it from bed. I'll watch it from the sofa we have in the room, and then just have a little bit of quiet time before I go to bed. It's really about setting the mood and letting my body enter that natural circadian rhythm and, most importantly, turning off that light so you're not going from that brightness and shutting it so abruptly. So ease your body into relaxation.

Oh, and I also keep my phone on airplane mode, but it is beside me in case I need to jot down something like 'gosh I need to do this! Or, like, have a notebook, so you're not staying up all night tossing and turning about it. But if you're on your phone, keep it on airplane mode and don't turn it back on and start looking at stuff. If I really need some help, some melatonin, some magnesium glycinate always helps."

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Tanya Maria Aguila, Founder of Onelife Studio

"For better sleep, I make sure that I disconnect from my devices at least an hour before hitting the sack because blue light from digital devices really impacts sleep. I also make sure that my sleeping position is properly supported by the right pillows to prevent any aches and stiffness the next day."

Dr. Jarische Lao-Ang, Dermatologist

"Sleep is a regenerative process, and the time when our cells repair and renew. It contributes to our overall health, even our skin health. Before bingeing on the new show or before drinking that coffee at bedtime, remember that proper sleep is for keeps! Side sleeping leads to 'sleep wrinkles' and facial asymmetry, so if unavoidable, use smooth silk pillow covers." 

Rene McHugh Rodrigo, ANP Herbalist & CLT, Fascial-Lymphatic Therapist, Spa Consultant & Chinese Medicine

"I turn my phone off and place it across the room. I use a regular alarm clock if I need it. But I hacked my sleep these past few months by trial and error to find how much sleep I actually need, so now I don’t need an alarm clock to wake up."