Good sleep, good health.
Today, in the race to be number one in everything, the only thing that gets compromised is your sleep. The work-life balance is poor, and you can hardly make time for rest. Even after you return from work, the work stress makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. Technological advancement has made the situation worst. Back in the day, you could call it a day after you left the office, but today, your mobile phones are an entire world on your palm, and you're often responding to work emails and texts even after your shift is over. There are many people who're on their phones, responding to emails even when they get in bed to retire for the night.
While you may think that you're working hard by giving extra time to your job, you're actually not doing yourself any favors. Compromising on your sleep will harm you in more ways than you can ever imagine. It'll also come in the way of your professional growth in the long run. Not getting enough sleep at night affects not only you professionally but your overall health and well-being get affected too.
This blog post will help you understand how important it is to get a good night's sleep and how you can get better sleep every night!
How Important is Getting a Good Night's Sleep?
Getting good sleep is extremely important. Only a few people today make it a point to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Most people spend the time they should be sleeping watching TV or scrolling through their Instagram, if not working. They sleep late and wake up cranky and feeling tired, even before the day starts!
Let's have a look at the many reasons why a good nights sleep is so important.
Good Sleep Boosts Your Brain Function
Good sleep is important for your brain to work at its optimum capacity. When you're asleep, the brain prepares itself for the next day. It develops new pathways that enable you to remember and learn new things. Not only does good sleep improves your learning capacity and memory, but it also improves your problem-solving skills. It also enhances your focus, decision-making skills, and creativity. If you've slept well, you'll be more active and creative throughout the day, and you'll be able to handle challenges more effectively.
Good Sleep Enhances Productivity
When your brain is working optimally and you're active throughout the day, your productivity will skyrocket. You'll be able to focus on work better, come up with solutions quicker, and offer more creative ways to execute tasks. All of this means higher productivity and efficiency, resulting in better and higher-quality outcomes. If you haven't slept well, you'll be in a foul mood. You'll be fatigued and lazy and unable to focus on work. Sleep-deprived individuals are more likely to make errors at work.
Good Sleep Boosts Emotional Health
If you haven't slept well at night, you'll be irritable, fatigued, and forgetful during the day. Your mood will be bad. You'll get triggered by even the smallest stressors, and you'll feel anxious and depressed. All of this will have a serious negative impact on your emotional health, which in turn will have an adverse impact on your productivity. Getting a good sleep at night will result in you waking up feeling fresh and all set to take on the day! You'll be more active and happier at work, which will improve your relationships with your coworkers and reflect on your performance as well.
Tips to Getting Better Sleep at Night
Do you find it hard to fall asleep even after you put your phone away and switch the TV off? Well, you might have to put in more effort than just that.
We've listed some tips for you below that'll help you fall asleep quicker and better.
1. Be Consistent with Your Sleep Time
Your body's natural sleep cycle is called the circadian rhythm. It naturally aligns itself with sunrise and sunset. This means the circadian rhythm will instruct your body to wake up when the sun rises and tell it to fall asleep when the sun sets. Not going along with your body's natural pattern will affect your sleep. One of the best tips to help you regulate your sleep pattern is to go to sleep and wake up consistently. Make it a point to hit the bed at a set time and wake up at a certain time every day. After being consistent with the sleeping and wake-up times for a few weeks, your body will tune in to the pattern, and you'll naturally feel sleepy at the sleeping time and wake up at the right time without an alarm.
2. Increase Exposure to Bright Light During the Day
Research shows that exposure to bright light during the day improves the quality of sleep at night. Exposure to natural light keeps the circadian rhythm healthy, and you stay fresh and active during the day and fall asleep faster at night. As we explained earlier, your brain aligns sleepiness and wakefulness with sunrise and sunset. When you expose yourself to natural light during the day, your body takes it as a sign of waking up. And as the day wears down and exposure to natural light decreases, your body starts getting into a state of sleepiness.
3. Reduce Mobile Phone and TV Usage at Night
Exposure to the blue light that TV and smartphones emit will signal your brain that it's still daytime, and you'll find it hard to go to sleep. Exposure to blue light reduces the release of melatonin. This is the hormone that causes your body to relax and helps you go into a deep sleep. So, if you've got a habit of using your phone or watching TV before going to sleep, you need to stop doing that. Stop using your phone or watching TV at least 2 hours before you plan to hit the bed.
4. Invest in a Good Mattress
One of the biggest reasons why falling is asleep fast and getting into a deep sleep is so difficult is the poor-quality mattress. If your mattress isn't of good quality, you'll fail to achieve the perfect sleeping posture, and you won't be comfortable. And you just can't fall into deep sleep if you're uncomfortable. Investing in a good mattress can make a huge difference. The right mattress, like the MLILY EGO Charcoal Mattress 8 , will provide comfort and support to your body. Most people think that the softer the mattress, the better it is. However, this isn't true for everyone. If you often experience back pain, a firmer mattress is more suitable for you. You need to evaluate your body type and what type of mattress will be the right choice for you.
5. Try Relaxation Techniques Before Going to Bed
'Sometimes, work stress or stress due to personal life problems keep you awake at night. Your mind keeps wandering to places you don't want it to. If that's the reason youre having trouble falling asleep, you should try relaxing your mind and body before going to bed. A relaxing massage, a long warm bath, reading a favorite book, listening to a soothing song, practicing deep breathing, and meditation are some ways to relax. Once your mind and body are in harmony, you'll observe that you fall asleep quicker, sleep deeper, and wake up fresh and active.
6. Make Sure You Don't Have Any Sleep Disorder
It may not always be the blue light from your mobile phone or TV or the stress of the day keeping you awake. It can be a sleeping disorder too. Problems like sleep apnea and circadian rhythm disorders can make it hard for you to sleep. If you suspect you're suffering from a sleep disorder, it's best to get yourself checked by a professional. If it's a sleep disorder, you'll need proper medical treatment.
7. Drinking Fluids at Night
If you drink too many fluids before bed, your sleep will be disturbed due to trips to the washroom to pee. Try not to intake too many liquids before you go to bed. This will reduce the frequency of urination trips to the bathroom at night and allow you to enjoy long hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Final Word
Good sleep is the key to a healthier, happier, and more productive you. If you're sleeping well, you'll be happier and more active at work, and your overall health will improve. If you compromise on your sleep, everything will get affected, from your mood to your relationships and quality of work. If you are habitual of sleeping late at night, you need to improve your routine so that your circadian rhythm can align with your sleeping pattern, and you can fall asleep faster and sleep better.
