Although we rarely talk about sleep, we must remember that our rest quality is essential for a person’s full functioning.
Lack of sleep has a negative effect on both physical and mental health. It is difficult to list all of the consequences of lack of sleep, but the most common of which are feelings of tiredness, increased irritability, anxiety, emotional instability, decreased attention, memory, weakened immunity, headaches, and so on.
This time I decided to discuss mistakes that make it harder to fall asleep and / or sleep well.
Going to bed and / or getting up at different times. It is recommended to go to bed and get up at the same time (+/- 30 minutes).
Too short of a sleep. It is recommended that an adult should sleep at least 7 hours.
If you do not sleep at night, go to bed during the day. If we fall asleep during the day, the need for sleep at night decreases, which can disrupt sleep. As a result, even for a very good day’s sleep, it is recommended to avoid naps.
If you are unable to fall asleep, lie in bed for more than 10 minutes. If you can’t fall asleep for more than 5-10 minutes, you should get up and sit on a chair in the dark until you feel like you want to sleep. It’s important that you don’t start surfing the web or looking at your watch while you’re sitting.
Studying in bed, watching movies, working on a computer, and so on. If the bed is engaged in non-sleeping activities, it begins to associate with the waking state. It is also important to mention that the screen light has a negative effect on the circadian rhythm. These can make it harder to fall asleep.
Consumption of caffeinated products before bedtime. It is recommended to avoid caffeinated products at least 5 hours before bedtime.
Drinking alcohol before bedtime. There is a myth that alcohol improves sleep. Although drinking alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep, in reality alcohol disturbs the rhythm of sleep, unbalances the phases of sleep and its duration.
Sometimes we pay too little attention to proper sleep habits. It is important to keep in mind that quality sleep is important for maintaining good health. Maybe after reading this you will think about changing your sleeping habits. Why not start doing it today?
Text author KTU psychologist Marija Aušraitė.
