Getting enough sleep is an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Sleep deprivation rapidly begins to have detrimental effects, both physically and psychologically. Worse still, the effects of sleep deprivation are cumulative, meaning that the negative effects will stack up every day that you are sleep deprived.
This also means that recovering from sleep deprivation requires more than just a good night’s sleep. To reverse the impact of sleep deprivation, you will need to get enough catch-up sleep, and you will have to make sure you get enough sleep for several days at least.
No Electronics
Electronics are the enemy of sleep! For many of us, in today’s fast-paced world, it’s hard enough to switch off at the best of times. If you keep your phone and laptop around you when you are getting ready for bed, you are almost inviting that one e-mail that’s going to make you lose sleep. Not only does having your gadgets around you in bed stress you out psychologically, it also makes it physically harder to sleep.
The light emitted by your smartphone or laptop contains various wavelengths of light, which, when taken together, make your body think it is receiving natural sunlight, although clearly it is not. This send signals from your brain to the rest of your body that make it think it’s time to wake up. Many devices now have an option to automatically use a blue light filter during the evening hours. By filtering out blue light and giving off a warmer color, this greatly reduces the disturbance to your circadian rhythm.
Comfort
It goes without saying that getting to sleep while you are physically uncomfortable is going to be difficult. It also makes it much harder for you to stay asleep. If you are constantly waking up during the night, your brain won’t be able to slip into the deeper levels of sleep that it needs to in order to make you feel well rested.
If you are having trouble sleeping and you can’t work out why, it might be time to invest in a new mattress. Have a look at the extensive range available on Sleep Sherpa, and you should be able to find something to suit your individual needs and tastes.
Reduce Noise and Light
Once you have ditched your mobile devices for the evening, you will have eliminated the most commons sources of unwanted sound and light. However, for many people, there will still be other potential sources of disturbance. If you have any alarm clocks in your room, make sure that they are set properly; don’t wake yourself up too early on a day you’ve set aside for resting.
If you have any devices charging in your room, these can sometimes emit surprisingly bright lights which are very disturbing for some people. Try and charge your devices in another room instead.
Develop a Routine
Finally, the most important thing to realize is that you cannot just do these things once. If you want to improve your sleeping hygiene in the long run, you will need to make your changes stick. Develop a solid routine, and this will happen naturally.
With the right sleep environment, you can free yourself from the grips of sleep deprivation with ease.
