How to Find a Perfect Sleep Routine

Unlike what many people practice, the body loves consistency when it comes to sleep. Sleeping and waking up at the same time every day will help you fall asleep faster and wake up more easily. The body and brain thrive on routine and a consistent sleep schedule is vital in the routine. Your brain releases hormones that regulate your sleep and wakeful periods. The more you stick to your sleep schedule, the stronger your sleep and wake signals get. This indicates that you will find it easy to sleep without tossing and turning. You`re advised to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night

How to Tell if you’re Getting Enough Sleep

Many people can’t tell that they don’t get enough sleep, and that’s a problem, as you can’t combat a challenge you aren’t aware of.

If you’re getting the amount of sleep you need, you’ll feel awake and alert all day long. Although it’s natural to sometimes experience slight weakness at mid-afternoon, it`s not normal to always struggle to remain awake every afternoon. So if you feel super sleepy before bedtime, it means that your sleep schedule might not be working for you.

There are a number of factors that affect your biological clock. Light and stimulation are two key factors among them. Your diet also matters, as well as your stress levels. That`s not all, as your exposure to blue light can affect how sleepy or not you get. Artificial light from your phone or TV sends signals to your brain to stay awake and eventually affects your sleep pattern.

There`s no denying the fact that sometimes, getting to sleep is solely based on being motivated to do so. There are legit obstacles that can come in the way. It could be a crying baby, night school, night duty at work, and some other factors. Note, however, that the more consistent you can keep your sleep schedule, alongside the fewer nights you cut your sleep short, the better it is for your health.

6 Tips for Optimizing your Sleep Schedule

Give 8 Hours of Sleep

Life seems to have got tougher, with many getting busier by the day. No matter how busy you are, you’re advised to get eight hours of sleep every night.

Set your Bedtime by your Wake Time

Consider the time you need to get up. This should determine your sleep time. Your sleep and wake time should give you enough time in the morning to get ready for your day without feeling rushed. So when do you need to be up? Count eight hours backwards, and there you have it. You’ve got your sleep time.

Find what’s Right for your Body and Schedule

There really can’t be a fixed time for all of us to go to bed. Everyone has a different natural rhythm, the same way we have different schedules. While some people like to stay up late, and are even more alert at nighttimes, there are others who feel more energized waking up before or with the sunrise. You’re advised to understand your body clock and ensure that your schedule aligns with it.

Limit the amount of blue light you get within two to three hours of bedtime. You may also wear blue-blocking glasses. This is because electronic devices can keep you awake.

Keep your Routine Intact on the Weekends

You’ve worked hard all week. Get some rest on weekends. Saturday and Sunday are not the days for two or three hours of sleep. Your body needs to recover from the stressful week.

Cut off from Caffeine by Noon

You probably don’t know that caffeine can last four to six hours in your system. Yes, the body takes that long to metabolize caffeine. So drinking coffee in late afternoons will cut into your sleep time and affect your sleep routine.

Brush your Teeth Early in the Evening

So here’s a small hack that helps you avoid late night snacking. Late night snacking keeps you up, and this is not great for your sleep health. There are foods that can cause heartburn, while others contain caffeine that keeps you awake. Chocolate is a culprit. What’s worse? Eating close to bedtime can stress your digestive system and reduce your sleep quality.

Some Interesting Sleep Facts

• Many healthcare professionals report inadequate time in discussing insomnia with their patients.
• Caffeine is the most consumed drug in the world, as a number of people consume it on a daily basis in coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, and a number of soft drinks, and drugs.
• Humans are the only mammals that deliberately delay sleep.
• The higher the altitude one is, the greater the sleep disruption. Often times, sleep disturbance increases at altitudes of 13,200 feet or more due to reduced levels of oxygen levels and changes in respiration.
• People can adjust to new altitudes in about two to three weeks.
• Regular exercise makes it much easier to fall asleep and also enables people to have sound sleep sessions.
• Exercising intensively or shortly before bedtime makes it more difficult to fall asleep.
• Studies show that divorced, separated, and widowed people have higher rates of insomnia.
• Self-imposed sleep deprivation is one of the primary causes of excessive sleepiness among the United States population.
• A 2008 study found that 36% of Americans drive drowsy or fall asleep while driving.
• People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have bigger appetites due to the drop in their leptin levels. Leptin is an appetite-regulating hormone.
• Infants put to bed drowsy but not asleep are more likely to be “self- soothing,” and as a result, fall asleep independently at bedtime.
• Snoring is the primary cause of sleep disruption for about 90 million American adults.
• Science is yet to discover if animals dream during REM sleep as humans  do.
• Most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep every night, while some can function perfectly with as little as six hours of sleep. A few others, on the other hand, need up to 10 hours of sleep.
• It’s natural to feel tired at two times of the day: about 2:00 a. m. and 2:00 p. m. This is a major reason people have a post-lunch dip.
• Sleep is as important as exercise and diet.
• Shift workers are at increased risk of various chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases.
• A recent study showed that 50% of UK pilots admitted to having fallen asleep while flying a passenger plane.
• People who go blind later in life can still see visually in their dream s.
• The body never adjusts to shift duties.
• Newborns sleep for a total of 14 to 17 hours a day on various schedules.
• Young people of high school age need about 10 hours of sleep a night to get the brainpower required for learning.
• Two-thirds of US high school students get less than 8 hours of sleep on school nights.
• Parents of newborns lose six months worth of sleep in the first two years of childcare.

Now that you Know…

It is important that you get enough sleep and have a well planned and regulated sleep pattern. By all means, prioritize your sleep routine as much as you prioritize your work schedule. Better sleep is better life and should never be compromised.