Why can’t some of us sleep as well as we would like to? What makes us lie open-eyed on our beds, staring at the ceiling, dreading the prospect of going to work the next day dreary eyed and exhausted?
It has been proven that lack of proper sleep leads to obesity, hypertension, and heart diseases etc. In this article we try to find the top sleep disruptors and help you work around them.
You overcompensate
You go overboard on the weekends. Not only do you sleep in late on a Saturday or Sunday morning, you even take a long nap in the afternoons, which keeps you up at night. So you sleep late and are forced to wake up early. Too much sleep not only makes you feel disoriented and exhausted, it also kills your appetite. All of this combined, makes your Monday morning a horrible day.
Solution: Keep an alarm clock. Allow yourself an extra hour on weekends and take a power nap in the afternoon.
Partner Problems
Your wife moves too much in her sleep, disturbing you in the process. She keeps turning and tossing in bed, making it impossible for you to have a good night sleep.
Solution: Find out what is bugging her. Is it the pillow; the mattress; or the fan or air-conditioner, which could be too cold or too hot for her? Find out the problem and fix it. If it’s the pillow, get an orthopaedic pillow, which is available in most malls or even online; if the mattress is an issue, get a good brand with back support, like Kurlon or Coirfit etc.
Noisy Neighbourhood
Sometimes it’s not us, it’s them, those pesky kids crying and whining, or a silly neighbour moving furniture or hammering nails at 1 in the morning; or a marriage procession or someone bursting crackers; or an idiot talking on his phone right under your building.
Solution: The best thing you can do is to keep your windows shut and plugging an ear-plug. You will notice that your sleep is sound and peaceful.
Empty Stomach
If you go to bed on an empty stomach, you will wake up mid-sleep. So if you’re dieting or just too tired to eat, you will have a disturbed sleep cycle.
Solution: Keep an apple or a banana by your bed side. Or two biscuits will work too.
Unkempt Bed
Have you noticed how clean and bright sheets in a hotel are such a welcoming sight? But in your own home, your bed is laden with papers, dirty underwear, wet towels etc, which is not at all a pleasing sight.
Solution: Clear everything an hour before going to bed, or don’t clutter it at all. Keep your bedroom area separate.
Drinking before bed
Drinking heavily before going to bed is not a good idea. Alcohol-induced sleep is not really sleep; it is just drowsiness from too much alcohol in your system. Also, when you wake up in the morning, you will feel you haven’t slept at all, which in turn will translate into a lousy day at work.
Solution: Don’t drink too much before bed time. Keep a good gap between the two.
Too much light in the room
Even a bright street light or light from your cell phone, or a glowing wrist watch or your alarm clock. Even your night lamp. There should be no light at all for you to have a peaceful sleep.
Solution: Turn all these instruments away from your face so the lights don’t fall on you. Or use an eye mask to prevent any light disturbing you.
TV before bed
Don’t watch TV before going to bed. It is highly visual and emits too much light. It causes your brain to go into action mode instead of calming it down.
Solution: Pick a book instead. It is not only calming, but also helps your imagination. It will also draw you away from all your other worries and stop you from thinking too much.
Follow these steps to have a good night’s sleep.
