| Sleepy Hollow: A 6-Step
Guide To Catch Some Zzzz's
The past sleepless nights have taken their toll on you.
Yes, you have the inimitable battle scars to prove it. The unmistakable
raccoon eyes, the heavy eyebags, delayed reflexes and slowed mental
processing are surefire signs that you have resisted the call of Morpheus.
You come up with a variety of reasons why you have been sleep deprived.
You were busy doing a time-consuming task which has a looming deadline,
you've been out partying late at night in the hippest clubs in town
or you were glued to your couch, totally engrossed with the chick flick
marathon showing on your flat-screen television.
If you're one of the millions of people all over the world who can't
get a good night's sleep –6-8 hours of it—it's high time
you do something. Studies show that lack of sleep leads to decreased
productivity, poor performance and irritability. What good is the fact
that you are able to finish multiple tasks if they are not of superior
quality?
Why don't you try one, two or a combination of these techniques so that
you can sail gently towards dreamland? Sleep well; be at your optimum
level of functioning.
1. Have a regular sleep schedule. It doesn't matter
if your shift in the workplace ends early or late. What you should remember
should be the exact time at which you will doze off in order to get
the requisite 6-8 hours of sleep. Use the alarm clock to wake you up
during the days you find it difficult to get up. As much as possible,
do not oversleep because it won't make you feel less drowsy. In fact,
it might even cause migraine or a fatigued body.
2. Ditch caffeine and nicotine. These substances are
classified as stimulants. Downing a coffee cup or two before bedtime
will only add to your problem with insomnia. Same goes for smoking that
tempting cigarette stick.
3. Cool your room. During the night, your internal
body temperature drops so it is advisable that you set your air conditioner
at a slightly lower level. If it is not available, use an electric fan.
4. Don't sleep during the day. Limit your power naps
to 20 minutes during lunch time. It should be enough to recharge your
batteries and prepare you for the rest of the afternoon. Sleeping more
than 20 minutes during the day could compound your woes at night because
your body clock will once again be disturbed.
5. Skip the sleeping pills. It may allow you to close
your eyes for a few hours but it won't give you a rejuvenated state
of mind the next morning. Unless you want to spend your day like a zombie
routinely performing a job, you will be better off without them
6. Maintain silence. Try to sleep without the blaring
sound of your television or the upbeat ditty of your MP3 player. Let
the golden silence permeate your room and cajole you to a peaceful slumber.
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