It is a widely known thing that sleep is the core of our well-being. Not having enough energy for your everyday tasks can affect your mood, tolerance and your overall work performance. That’s why we always feel better when we’re well rested.
However, more and more people are suffering from sleep deprivation without being fully aware of the effects poor sleep habits are bringing to their everyday activities. Recent studies showed that CEOs, working adults and college students have a very high percentage of sleep deprived individuals.
This doesn’t surprise us very much, because today, the concept of sleeping less is often seen as a habit of hard-working, successful people. And, on the other hand, “sleeping a lot” is often interpreted as a sign of laziness. This has to change. Especially because scientists have proved that lack of sleep influences our brains, our decisions and our way of thinking.
Apparently, people do not know a lot about what sleep does for our brains and minds.
First of all, memorizing new facts is possible thanks to sleep. Recalling them as well. When we get in touch with new information, the same information passes to our long-term memory centers in the brain only after a night of sleep.
If you aspire to be successful in any field of your life, you will need your mind to function properly. It was also shown that people that had enough sleep on a daily basis had better problem-solving skills than those that lacked sleep. In addition, sleeping enough will also bring you a greater mind clarity that will enable a better focus and an overall improved work performance.
Needless to say, when sleep deprived, you feel tired and drowsy which makes you less likely to engage in social activities and experience new things. When you’re well-rested, you are more eager to meet new people, spend time outside and participate in social events. Last, but not the least, some say that those that sleep short, also live shorter. This may not be true, but we still prefer to stay on the safe side and work to improve our sleep habits.
Here are some useful tips that you can start doing today in order to sleep better.
1. Go To Bed At The Same Time Every Night
Being consistent with your bedtime everyday will help regulate your sleep cycle. This way, your brain will recognize when it is time to “rest and recover” and will prepare for slowing things down. The benefit of going to bed at the same time will also change your morning routine. Your body will tell you when you’ve slept enough, and you will likely wake up naturally, without an alarm clock. This way, you will feel more energized for your daily tasks.
2. Eat Healthy And At The Right Time
This is especially important for your dinner meals. Eating meals that are too heavy on your stomach before going to bed might not be the best idea. First of all, your chances of falling asleep easily are lowered, and second, digestion of your late dinner will take up a significant amount of energy that should be dedicated to your body’s recovery.
3. Reduce Your Screentime
A lot of people nowadays have formed a habit of looking in their smartphones, tablets or laptops before going to bed. If it seems to you that this activity relaxes you to sleep, you couldn’t be more wrong. Blue lights that our smartphones and tables emit are activating our brains with their visually appealing interfaces. Your brain will continue to process all these things once you’re in bed and will drain a part of your energy conserved for recovery. Put your phones away from your bedroom, and if necessary buy a real alarm clock instead.
4. Meditate
A lot of successful CEOs admit that they embraced meditation in their everyday routine. Apparently, meditating every day helps us achieve a greater mental clarity making focusing on important things much easier. You might see a shift in the way you look at things and situations.
People that have introduced meditation to their lives state that it helped them fall asleep easier, but also made them more motivated and realistic with their new projects and decisions.
5. When Needed – Power Nap
Power napping is found to be very successful in increasing our focus and boosting our energy levels. When you’re overly tired, it’s better to have a 20 minute nap that will put you back on the right track, than to fight your need to sleep and struggle with focusing.
However do not overdo them, as it is important to regulate your sleep cycle in order to feel well rested all the time.
Respect your bedtime and apply some or all of these tips, and you will soon notice a big shift in your way of thinking, in the way you feel and in the way you interact with other people. Three things that are crucial to lead you to a new set of successes.