For busy individuals, the idea of sleep often seems a luxury when in reality it’s actually a necessity for your body to function well. Late nights at work and social commitments often detract from the importance of recuperating at night and this may be affecting you more than you think. Today’s topic will be dedicated to sleep, and how best to maximise its effectiveness as well as to create healthy sleep cycles.
Which Routine Works Best For Me?
This varies from person to person. You should play around with different sleep hours or cycles to see what fits you best. As an adult, it is highly recommended that you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep on a daily basis. The time you go to sleep and wake up, naps during the day and other variables depend on your body and what it is telling you. The key is consistency. Staying up for 24 consecutive hours followed by 14 hours of sleep the next day is not recommended!
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| It’s possible to sleep like a baby with the right routine! (pic from naturessleep.com) |
Once you have figured out a schedule that works, stick to it. Sleep at the same time every day; this should be when you start to feel tired or drowsy at night to make it easier to fall asleep. You may be tempted to sleep late during the weekends, but try to stick to the schedule. Likewise, wake up at the same time daily if possible. Sure, it may be tempting to just lay in bed all morning, especially if it’s raining or you have a day off! But try to discipline yourself to follow a routine, and your health will benefit greatly.
What If I Want to Sleep at Different Hours?
Your body will naturally give you cues to fall asleep at various times during the day, not just at night. Even more so if you work in a job that constantly bores you or offers no mental or physical stimulation! Your job and other commitments may even cause you to lose some sleep, but there are ways to ensure you don’t fall out of your sleeping rhythm.
If you lose a few hours of sleep because you have to get up early or work late, try to grab a nap during the daytime if possible. This allows you to fulfil your sleep quota for that particular day without affecting your natural sleeping cycle at night. If you continue to lose sleep, your body clock may get thrown off and take a few days to recover. Worse still, you may even develop insomnia which poses even more sleeping problems!
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| Don’t let your power naps turn into deep sleeps! (pic from fitsavvy.com) |
Of course if you do nap, do it in moderation. A 5-hour nap not only throws you off schedule completely, it may even cause worse insomnia! Try to keep your naps to about 30 minutes as this gives your body a quick boost of energy needed to get through the rest of the day.
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| After feasting like a king, stay awake longer to sleep like one too! (pic from urbanspoon.com) |
You may also get the desire to sleep immediately after meals, especially heavy ones. Lunchtime naps are fine if you need to catch up on lost sleep and limit the time, but sleeping immediately after dinner is not recommended. Not only is your stomach in the middle of digesting your food, you may even increase the likelihood of suffering a stroke! If you feel drowsy after dinner, try doing something to keep your mind active. You could read, play a video game or even do something menial like tidying your room. As long as your mind is awake, the urge to go to sleep will be greatly reduced.
In my next post, I will outline some ways and methods to sleep better at night. Till next time!
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