It’s easy to stay up late watching a movie or an entire season of Heroes on DVD. Then there’s schoolwork, laundry, and long nights of socializing. It’s all par for the course of living, but if you’re running a sleep deficit, be warned. Sleeps restores your body and rests your mind—go without, and you’ll soon become dysfunctional.
When I haven’t gotten enough sleep, I gravitate toward large amounts of caffeine and sugar to get me through the day. Add this to the fact that I am staring off into space most of the time…
It’s not a productive picture.
If I want to make the grade, I gotta get the sleep: seven hours at least (in order to reap the benefits of the all-important REM cycle).
The facts: without adequate energy and power to operate effectively, a sleep-deprived person tends to be more restless, irritable, and impulsive. The body and mind are generally weakened, and more prone to physical sickness and/or depression. Sleep deprivation decreases motivation, concentration, attention, and coherent reasoning. It decreases memory, self-control, and speed of thinking while increasing the frequency of mistakes and stubbed toes. Why torture yourself?
Ever on the go, we grow accustomed to operating on minimal Zzzz’s. However, given its wide-reaching impact on health and happiness, satisfaction and success, it’s worth making sleep sacred. Here are some ideas for getting a better night’s rest:
• Give yourself a bedtime, and be ready for bed well before then.
• Make your room dark and turn everything off.
• Stretch.
• Have a journal near your bed. If your mind is full, empty it out. If you are thinking about what you need to do the next day, make a quick list of what you need to remember.
• Tidy up your bedroom. Clutter is not relaxing.
• Get enough exercise. Studies have shown that people who get their hearts pumping during the day sleep better at night.
• Avoid stimulation right before bedtime. This includes Facebooking or eating a bowl of sweetened cereal.
• Read a textbook.
Sleep tight!
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