Just like i mentioned in my entry a couple of days ago, sleep is very important. From experience, i can honestly tell you that sleep is important for keeping stress down. Whenever i don't get enough sleep, i have a very hard time coping with things and sometimes it feels like the end of the world. When you are asleep, the body recovers. Without proper sleep, the body's internal functions are affected. You have a hard time remembering, you mood changes and you can become irritable, your immune system suffers, and other health problems can occur.
To sleep well, everyone needs anywhere from 7 to 10 hours of sleep. Why the wide range of hours? Because everyone is different. Some people may need more and some may need less. However, when you have missed a few days of good sleep, the body will try and sleep longer to make up the deficit and in that case, you will need more hours. You just have to see what the right amount is for you. Also, babies and children need more sleep than adults.
For a good night's sleep, it's good to create the right atmosphere in your room. Make sure your bed is comfortable. You need to have the right kind and amount of sheets and blankets so that you're not too hot or too cold during the night. Also, room temperature should be comfortable. Make sure the room is dark unless you need some type of nightlight. In that case, make sure it's not right in your face or shining in your eyes. Also, keeping a tidy room can help. It can be stressful to see everything unorganized and messy. I'll write more on this in a later post.
Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. This will help set your internal clock. Also, when you wake up in the morning, wake up to the light. Just open your curtains or step out into the light. That also helps you internal clock adjust. I personally like to step out into the fresh air in the morning and and take some deep breaths. If you wake up before the sun comes up because of work or something else, just try to step outside when you can and get a little light. Make sure you only use your bed to sleep in instead of using it to watch tv, read, doing work or something else like that. Your body needs to realize that the bed is for sleeping so that when you do go to bed, you will fall asleep more easily.
Make sure you don't eat too late, exercise too late, or drink coffee or any other caffeinated beverage too late before bed because that can keep you awake. However, it's been researched that exercise can be beneficial in helping you sleep better when done early enough. You don't want to be too wound up before bed. Eating right can also help because when you don't get the right nutrients or enough nutrients your body will feel off.
Regardless of what you do, there will be times when getting enough sleep is impossible. Don't stress about it. Get as much sleep as you can when you can. Sweet dreams all.
Posts
