Nothing frustrates me more than not being able to fall asleep when I want to. My mind continues to race, crossing off a mental check-list of today’s accomplishments; re-prioritizing for tomorrow’s action plan; projecting thoughts, goals, ideas and actions into the future. There is so much to do; need to do; want to do– so little time! I simply must fall asleep. Don’t look at the clock. Oh, geeze. I looked. 2:32am. How am I ever going to take over the world if I’m exhausted tomorrow?–today?! Bah! Must get to sleep…
The Importance of Sleep
A solid eight hours of sleep sounds fantastic, but who can afford to spend so much precious time sleeping? The truth is you can’t afford not to. Sleep provides a necessary series of distinct cycles and stages that restore and refresh your body and mind. Even minimal sleep loss is detrimental to your mood, energy, efficiency, and ability to handle stress. If you want to feel your best, stay healthy, and perform up to your potential, sleep is crucial. Once you do finally fall asleep, the subsequent issue of successfully waking initiates. There are so many things that seem more interesting or important than getting a few more hours of sleep. Yet, at 5am, my warm bed and blankets feel like the best place to be. Sleep is just as essential as exercise and nutrition for optimal health, happiness and growth. The quality of your sleep is directly correlated to the quality of your waking life, including your mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even your weight. No other activity is so beneficial with so little effort.
The Solutions
Maintaining a regular sleep and wake pattern seven days a week is imperative. So is spending an appropriate amount of time in bed, not too little, or too excessive. This may vary by individual; for example, if you have a problem with daytime sleepiness, you should consider a minimum of eight hours in bed. If you have difficulty sleeping at night, you should limit yourself to seven hours in order to keep the sleep pattern consolidated and consistent. Furthermore, good sleep practices include:
- Go to sleep and wake-up at routine times daily.
- Avoid napping during the day. Naps can disturb the normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
- Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol close to bedtime. Even afternoon use of these substances may produce negative nighttime effects.
- Exercise can promote good sleep. Vigorous exercise should be performed in the morning or late afternoon. A relaxing exercise can be done before bed to help initiate a restful night’s sleep; perhaps a light walk or yoga.
- Food can be disruptive right before sleep. Stay away from large meals close to bedtime.
- Ensure regular and adequate exposure to natural light. Light exposure helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle. Unnatural light is very disruptive to healthy sleep patterns.
- Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine. Try to avoid emotionally upsetting conversations and activities before trying to go to sleep. Don’t dwell on, or bring your problems to bed. Try meditating.
- Make sure your sleep environment is pleasant and relaxing. Your bed should be comfortable; room should not be too hot or cold, or too bright.
- Associate your bed with sleep. It is not a good idea to use your bed to watch TV or to work on your computer. Conclude your work and plans for world domination before you settle into your blankets and pillows.
Good luck and sweet dreams!
This article is the first in a series dedicated to sleep—so that you, too, can take over the world. Please look forward to learning the following in articles to come:
Learn what happens when you’re sleeping; how to determine your nightly sleep needs; what you can do to bounce back from chronic sleep loss; how to get on a healthy sleep schedule; about Circadian Rhythm– your “body clock”; about the function of sleep; about the effects of food, beverages and sleep aids on brain function and sleep; about sleep disorders; about waking; and more…
Leave a Reply