I did not know that there is a “The Better Sleep Foundation” and “National Sleep Foundation” until I “googled” it up in the net. Gosh!
When I was doing my law degree whilst working full time, sleep was a luxury. Studying until 2.00 am and then waking up for work at 6.00 am, meant I only slept for 4 hours everyday for 6 days a week. The entire Sunday is used to “pay back” the sleep debt (hutang tidur). I recall once, I woke up at about 12.00 pm on a Sunday, took shower, took my “breakfast” (it was lunch) and went back to sleep at about 2.30 pm. I only woke up at 6.00 am on Monday!
According to The Better Sleep Foundation, the quality and quantity of our sleep can make all the difference in how productive we are the next day. They gave 10 tips on how to get the sleep we need and deserve:-
1. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule.
2. Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as taking hot shower and reading a book.
3. Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.
4. Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
5. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.
6. Finish eating at least two to three hours before your regular bedtime.
7. Exercise regularly. It is best to complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime.
8. Avoid nicotine. Used close to bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep.
9. Avoid caffeine close to bedtime. It can keep you awake.
10. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. It can lead to disrupted sleep later in the night.
I relook at the above “tips” and I noted that I am not doing some things right. I mean I doing this on the contrary:-
1. I don’t exercise regularly (a big problem with me). I do yoga (sometimes…well, let’s say occasionally) before going to sleep
2. I drink herbal tea (plenty of it too) minutes before going to sleep (I know, I know…bad habit)
3. If it is Saturday night out, count on me having some beers (ok I am being modest by using the word “some”) in my stomach when I go to bed.
Despite that, I sleep like the baby the moment (moment means 1 – 2 minutes) I on bed. What I do is that I hypnotise myself. Yes, you heard me…HYPNOTISE MYSELF. How?
This is how you do it:-
1. Imagine you are at the seaside; there is a light cold breeze
2. The beach sand is soft and comfortable
3. There is a big, bottomless hole on the ground, fully lighted (something like the one you see in Star Wars)
4. You stand at the edge, with your back facing the hole
5. You close your eyes and lean backwards into the hole
6. You fall backwards and you can feel the air blowing from below
7. You stretch out your legs and arms, just enjoying the fall
By the time I reach the stage 7, I am already dozing off and only will wake up the next morning, feeling fresh and well rested. I do not know about others but it works for me every time, no matter when I am sleeping
(Cartoon source: www.offthemarkcartoons.com)
Related articles
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- Why don’t babies know how to sleep? (ask.metafilter.com)
- Bedtime Story May Not Help With Bedtime (fyiliving.com)
- How to Naturally Relieve Insomnia (brainz.org)
- Dumb and Tired? Sleep helps on both accounts (psychologytoday.com)
- Top 10 Ways to Sleep Smarter and Better (lifehacker.com)
- Sleep affects kids in school; how much do yours need? (socyberty.com)
- Sleep Tips for Teens Who Struggle with Lack of Sleep (generalmedicine.suite101.com)