Better Sleep For A Better Day

Wow, is this my favorite topic or what? I am expert in this arena. All thanks to staying at home since an year, I’ve had some really good experience with sleeping and sleeping habits. So much so, that I have once for all decided to act on them. Because, a better sleep is essential for a better day.

Until some time ago, I was the kind of person, who, given a chance, would be okay with sleeping for 20+ hours a day. I called it the panda mode. And this was slowly starting to get out of control, that I no longer had a say in it. I would just surrender to sleep whenever wherever. And then, one day realization hit me hard.

Excessive sleeping was bad. It was a major hindrance to productivity and a antidote to creativity. I was angry with myself for wasting away my time with this uncontrollable laziness. So, I changed my sleep schedule all together. I started applying to jobs extensively. I started my blog and even then, my guilt was not quenched. I joined as a volunteer at the Natural Sciences museum in Philadelphia. I was keeping myself busy with baking classes and what not. And then, another reality hit me, again.

Excessive sleep is bad, but so is insufficient sleep. It’s always important to inculcate the right sleep habits, the sooner the better. We millennials are ever-ready with all the zeal and enthusiasm to pursue anything in our vicinity. We are okay with compromising on our sleep to achieve certain goals. In this tough competitive world, working 18 hours a days is the path to success, at least that’s what we have been told. But no, that is a definite mistake. It’s never okay to not get the minimal prescribed sleep hours. So I thought, I decided and I acted on it.

Power Nap Time

In the first stage of reality, I tried snoozing my alarm, until I maxed out on the number of snoozes allowed by android. Then I tried taking a power nap in between my daily schedule, to avoid that exhausted feeling. Surprisingly, like the doctors say, it works. Taking a power nap of 20-30 mins, during afternoon, makes you less tiresome and rejuvenates freshness to get back to work. The lingering drowsiness is gone. Just don’t make it a habit and don’t do it in irregular times of the day.

The Sunrise Experience

This can be the best way to stick to a schedule, when you are off it. May be you changed time zones, may be you have a jet lag or may be you have changed from a night shift to a day job, whatever it is, coming to a regular schedule is always a slow deal. So, when I travel to India, what I do it is stay awake for the entire day and tire myself out. Since, I will be up very early in the morning when I lose time travelling, it’s almost as if I got no sleep for more than 20 hours, which definitely tires me out. The first night after landing, I have an early dinner and try to sleep by 8.30. Not too late to faint, not to early to not adjust to local time. Same thing can be applied when you have changed your shifts at work, from nights to days. The first day is a little difficult, I agree, but it hardly takes more than 2 days to be back on track, if you follow this.

Bedtime Rituals

One thing that I can say with great experience is, having a bedtime ritual could be the best gift for a happy sleep. Be it reading a book or skimming through online articles or having a conversation with your spouse or writing a journal, making it a routine habit will tune your brain in such a way that, once you reach this ritual, your brain decides the next step to be sleeping. But make sure it is not a too convenient habit, or you will feel drowsy every time you open a book.

Mattress and Pillow Changeover

You know how, these days big brands advertise about memory foamed mattresses and pillows? Well, they really make an impact in your sleep cycle. Some people like sleeping on hard pillows, while others stick to fluffy soft ones. So, be wise and choose a healthy mattress and pillows for a sound sleep. Also, please recycle your pillows once in 18 months. That is their maximum lifetime.

Enhance Your Bedroom

This is a last resort as it is not practically possible for everyone. Most people have their work space in one corner of the bedroom, which is ideally not a great idea. If possible, strictly make the bedroom your sleeping arena. Preferably, plant a night stand or drawer near your bed to put your smartphone or tablet inside it, to avoid the temptation of the buzzing notification light. Make sure you have pleasant walls with tranquil colors and comfortable lighting. Try aromatherapy with mild room sprays. These aesthetics come a long way in maintaining your sleep schedule.

After all, for all the hard work we do, a good night’s sleep is what we totally deserve and these 7-8 hours of dozing is what keeps the energy, enthusiasm and efficiency going on. I hope you sleep tight tonight.

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