ZZzzzz……
sleep. That’s all I want to do right now.
Unfortunately, that’s because I am part of the 70% of adults that do not get the recommended amount of sleep each night. With our society, we have become a 24-hour-a-day, 7-days-a-week kind of people. There are so many things that we need to get done (or rather, things that we are expected to get done), and we still only have the same amount of time to do it in.
The risks of not getting adequate sleep are many. They range from things as seemingly insignificant as irritability and skin damage to higher risks of cancer, heart disease and obesity. Other risks include things such as drowsiness, which can be dangerous for drivers, and lack of productivity at work.
So how can we avoid these consequences and try to get more shut-eye?
Try this:
1. evaluate how your are using your time throughout the day. See what you can eliminate and replace with an earlier bedtime (ex: if you find that you are spending an hour watching useless tv or surfing the web, you can go to bed an hour earlier instead)
2. Avoid caffeine. Although it gives you a little boost throughout the day, it can stay in your system for hours, thus resulting in laying in bed awake at night.
3. Do not exercise within 2 hours of going to bed. When your heart rate is up, your body will not want to go to sleep.
4. Don’t think about things that may make you worry before bed. Think carefree thoughts. Keep a notepad by your bed to jot down anything you are worried about forgetting in the morning. Once you write it down, stop thinking about it.
5. Make your bed a place for sleeping only. No working in bed. If it is a place your mind associates with sleep, you will be more likely to sleep.
6. Make your room dark- use blinds, drapes, shades, a sleep-mask– whatever you need to do to keep the light out.
7. Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up time, and stick to it as best as you can- even on weekends.
This is definitely a big problem, especially in the US because we are such a fast-paced and on the go people! These are good, pretty easy tips to help us get the most out of the time we give ourselves to sleep.
Wow, I didn’t know that some of the consequences of sleep deprivation could be so severe. I wonder how it contributes to things like cancer and obesity?
I ask the same question. I wonder how sleep deprivation can contribute to things like cancer and obesity? Do they have studies on this?
I remember seeing the tip of making your bed only a place to sleep in my student development class- my teacher told us not to do homework in bed because it makes you want to sleep… and this is the other side of the spectrum! Either way, I agree wholeheartedly. Bed is for SLEEPING!
sometimes i have really bad insomnia, and i have found that 15 minutes of yoga a day has taught me how to be able to turn off my mind at night when i am trying to sleep which has led to a better sleeping pattern. thanks for the info!
considering all that goes on physiologically when the body is alseep, it makes sense that sleep would help reduce the risks of those disease.
I really enjoyed this post. This last semester I have really focused on trying to get to bed early. It is incredible the difference it has made in all aspects of my life. It has helped me with school alot. I find that I dont fall asleep in classes (for the most part) anymore! I am able to get more done during the day. I dont have to come home and take naps. And I feel better!