Do you toss and turn from one side of your bed to the other and constantly glance at your smartphone? You're not alone - many people suffer from poor sleep. They end up feeling fatigued in the morning, irritable, and find it hard to get through the day.
Those who haven’t had a good night’s sleep can’t focus as well and react less quickly to danger – such as when driving. Even after one night of bad sleep, you may notice you're not feeling that well. And of course, when you’re tense and stressed, it's also harder to fall asleep.
So what should you do when you're caught in a constant cycle of sleep debt? Take a look at these ideas from Sanitas, the leading Swiss health insurer.
1. Keep sleep and bed for the night-time
The best tip: only stay in bed for as long as you actually sleep. If you’re spending too much time in bed, you’ll end up dozing and not building up enough sleep pressure for actual deep sleep.
It’s also important to work out how much sleep you actually need. It’s best to do this at times when you have fewer obligations to take care of, such as during the holidays.
A sleep diary can help you to keep track. Long naps on the sofa after lunch are also detrimental and reduce the sleep pressure that should build up during the day. Active days with lots of movement are beneficial.
2. Pay attention to your biorhythm
The second-most important tip for healthy sleep is to adjust your rest time to your own chronotype.
When do you sleep best and when do you prefer to be awake? Are you a morning or an evening person? Some people sleep particularly deeply from 10 pm to 3 am, while others sleep better between 1 am and 7 am.
Generally speaking, plenty of daylight sends your body the right signals, and you feel tired when it gets dark at night. So, go outside as much as possible and don’t expose yourself only to artificial light.
3. Peace and quiet in the bedroom
The bedroom should be a place to relax. That means electronic devices such as mobile phones or laptops should be banished and untidy desks covered in to-do notes should be located in a different room.
The bedroom should also be quiet, well-ventilated, dark, and only around 18 degrees warm. It’s also important to have a comfortable bed with clean bed linen.
4. No alcohol, nicotine or caffeine
It’s not a good idea to drink an espresso or black tea in the evening if you already have difficulty falling asleep. You should avoid caffeinated drinks in the four hours before going to bed. Nicotine also stimulates the body and can disrupt sleep.
Those who drink a glass of red wine before sleeping are not doing their body any favours either. Although alcohol reduces brain activity, which actually helps us to fall asleep more easily, it negatively impacts the quality of our sleep, leading to interrupted sleep and causing us to wake up early.
5. Relaxation
The odd sleepless night or period of poor sleep is part and parcel of life. Driving yourself crazy with worry won’t help and will just keep you awake for longer.
Instead, stay relaxed and allow time for a pre-sleep routine to help you leave the day behind. And avoid exciting films or video games!
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