2018 Mar 27
Sleep, like oxygen, food, and water are non-negotiables for a healthy life. However, unlike the latter three, sleep is something that many don’t prioritize with the notion it’s not as important and that one can sleep as much as they want, once their work is done (let’s be honest, work never ends). Despite Sri Lanka’s reputation as a ‘chilled out island’ we are a tired bunch of islanders who do not get the required amount of sleep. On average, a person requires 6-8hrs of sleep in order to feel well-rested and wake up the next morning with sufficient energy to carry on with their day’s work.
That said, recuperation time depends on the person, his or her stress levels and keep in mind that the more you overwork the more time you need to recover. However, only some of us actually get this required amount of sleep, leaving the rest of us feeling exhausted, grumpy and the addition of bags under our eyes. This is true when you look at our mothers and wives, who function on five hours of sleep or less almost every night. Their busy schedules force them to wake up before dawn and between juggling work, household chores, and children they only go to bed just before midnight leaving them with barely any rest. They continue this routine for decades without much choice.
When we sleep, our brain uses that break to process the day’s events, develop new brain cells and give our bodies the time it needs to rejuvenate itself in preparation for the next day. When you don’t get the required time your body needs to recuperate not only do you feel exhausted, moody and impulsive but it also affects the speed of your brain processing thoughts and your ability to solve problems. So if you work in a field that requires you to come up with smart solutions within minutes and process thoughts fast (which is a requirement in all jobs) you are doing more harm to your work by sabotaging your sleep by working late. Lack of sleep can also trigger illnesses such chronic pain, mental health issues such as depression and cause insomnia and hypersomnia. Sleep deprivation for long periods of time can also kill you as a result of exhaustion.
Here are a few ways to make sure you sleep better:
1. Have a set time to sleep and wake up every day (yes even during the weekends). This will put you into a routine which will help your body clock identify with the time and prepare you to unwind and sleep better.
2. Make sure that your room has a good,comfortable temperature, not too hot or too cold, and that there are no bright lights when you’re asleep.
3. Shut off your PC, laptop, iPad, tab, iPhone, basically all electronics that emanate light 30 minutes before you go to bed. Our obsession with gadgets has increasingly compromised our sleep and therefore we never really get the opportunity to properly rest. So do yourself a favour and shut it off. Your FB, Instagram, snapchat and WhatsApp messages can wait for you for a change.
4. Go easy on the vino or alcoholic drinks at night. While it may help you unwind, vino and alcohol can negatively affect the REM stage of your sleep, which is the deepest most restorative stage of sleep. Research also suggests that alcohol can contribute to the increase of dreams and nightmares in this stage.
5. Avoid having caffeine and sugar before bed. Caffeine can stay in your body for nearly six hours or more so if you end up indulging in a cup of coffee, you are likely to be counting mozzies at night. In the case having sugar just before bed, this can increase your blood sugar level and disrupt your sleep. Lack of sleep has also known to increase blood sugar levels and the risk of diabetic issues.
6. Exercise 2-3hrs before bed time. While exercising is great for your body and mind, there’s a good time and bad time for it. Exercising increases your heart rate and temperature which will make you feel restless and harder to relax when you’re trying to sleep.
7. Despite popular belief, tossing and turning in bed is not going to help you sleep. So if you’re in bed and don’t fall asleep in 15 minutes, sit on a chair and do something boring – flip through a magazine or read a book.
8. Keep a worry diary to write down things that have upset you or you have worried about during the day. This will not only help you feel better but it will also help you sleep better.
9. Pray or meditate before you sleep. This will help you relax and put you at ease before bed.
10. Make your bed a sleep and sex only zone. Yes, we are all culprits of working, reading and watching movies but by doing this it teaches our brain that the bedroom is for other activities than sleeping which affects our sleep and well-being negatively. So start practicing a no device, book or movie zone and see how it can improve your overall well-being.
