Some people think getting just one less hour of sleep won’t affect their daily functioning or that they can make up for lack of sleep on the weekend or a day off. But any changes or shifts to your regular sleep schedule will only have a negative effect on your sleeping habits and lead to lots of yawning when you are awake. [3] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source It’s a myth that your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedule. While most people can reset their biological clock, this can only be done by timed cues, and even then, only by one to two hours per day at best. It can take more than a week for your body’s internal clock to adjust to traveling across several time zones or to switching to the night shift. Extra sleep at night cannot cure you of your daytime fatigue. The quantity of sleep you get every night is important, but the quality of your sleep is more important. You may get eight or nine hours of sleep a night but won’t feel well rested if the quality of your sleep was poor.
Another option is to shut down your computer on a schedule. This will automatically sleep your machine and prevent you from working on your computer too late or too close to your bedtime. There are sleep features on both PCs and Macs that you can activate. As well, if you want your computer to be ready to go in the morning, once you wake up, you can schedule a startup time too. [6] X Expert Source Alex Dimitriu, MDSleep Specialist Expert Interview. 16 October 2019.
If you prefer to shut down all electronics a few hours before bed, you can use an alarm on your watch or ask someone you live with to remind you of bedtime 1 hour before it’s time.
If you find yourself tossing and turning in bed in the dark, don’t lie there and stare up at the ceiling. Instead, do a relaxing activity in bed to calm down and get your mind off your inability to sleep. Doing a restful activity may in fact end up causing you to fall asleep. [9] X Research source
If you have difficulty sleeping due to loud noises outside your window or a loud sleep partner, consider investing in good earplugs, or a noise machine.
Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people who have trouble falling asleep. [12] X Research source
Keep your naps short, between 10 to 20 minutes. This will prevent sleep inertia, which is when you feel groggy and disoriented after a nap that goes on for longer than 30 minutes. [14] X Research source
What time you went to bed and woke up. The total sleep hours and quality of your sleep. The amount of time you spent awake and what you did. For example: “stayed in bed with eyes closed” “counted sheep” “read a book”. The types of food and liquids you consumed before bed and the amount of food and liquids you consumed. Your feelings and moods before bed, such as “happy” “stressed” “anxious”. Any drugs or medication you took, such as sleeping pills, including the dose and time of consumption. Notice any triggers that start to repeat themselves in your sleep journal and see if there are ways you can prevent or limit these triggers. For example, maybe you often get a bad night’s sleep on a Friday after drinking two martinis. Try not to drink at all the following Friday and see if this improves your sleep.
Use sleeping pills and medications sparingly for short term situations, like traveling across several time zones or when recovering from a medical procedure. Using sleeping pills only when necessary, rather than on a daily basis, will also prevent you from being dependent on them to help you sleep every night.
Nasal decongestants. Aspirin and other headache medications. Pain relievers that contain caffeine. Cold and allergy medications containing an antihistamine. If you are taking any of these medications, try to reduce your dosage. Or research alternative methods to treat these issues so you can stop taking these over-the-counter medications.
Dairy products Bananas Turkey Yogurt Whole-grain crackers Peanut butter
Alcohol also prevents deep sleep and REM sleep. It will keep you in the lighter stages of sleep, causing you to possibly wake up easily and have a harder time falling back asleep. Avoid consuming alcohol 1-2 hours before bed to ensure you get a good night’s sleep. [19] X Research source
If you think environmental problems are keeping you awake, think about adjusting your mattress with a mattress pad to make it more comfortable. Or keep an item from your old room in your new room. Create a sense of calm and security in your sleep environment to help you go to sleep.
Counteract shift work by adding 30-minute naps to your sleep schedule and lengthening the amount of time you allot for sleep. You should also use caffeine only during the first part of your shift to promote alertness at night and restfulness during the day. Try to minimize the number of shift changes you do to give your body’s internal clock more time to adjust to a new work schedule. You may want to also talk to your doctor about a prescription for short-acting sleeping pills to help you sleep during the day.
Decrease your exposure to light at bedtime and increase your exposure to light at wake time once you arrive. Spend a lot of time outdoors so your body gets used to the light cues in the new time zone. Adjust your internal clock by getting a good amount of sleep 2-3 days prior to the trip. If you are traveling west, make minor changes to your sleep schedule by delaying your normal bedtime and wake time progressively by 20- to 30-minute intervals. If you are traveling east, advance your normal wake time by 10 to 15 minutes a day 2-3 days prior to the trip and try to advance your normal bedtime by 10 to 15 minutes. Talk to your doctor about melatonin supplements to counteract jet lag. Melatonin is considered safe to use over a period of days or weeks, but its effectiveness on jet lag is controversial. Some studies find melatonin supplements before bed several days prior to arriving in a new time zone can help you fall asleep at the proper time. But other studies find that melatonin does not help relieve jet lag. [26] X Trustworthy Source National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Research and education center within the National Institutes of Health Go to source
Talk to your doctor if you take medication for asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. Many drugs used to treat these issues contain steroids and a compound called “theophylline”, which is a stimulant that can keep you up at night. If you are taking heart medication or medication for arthritis, you may experience insomnia and nightmares because of these drugs. [28] X Research source You may also have a hard time sleeping if you are taking antidepressants. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, you may also experience insomnia or sleep problems.
Insomnia: The most common sleep complaint. Insomnia is often a symptom of another issue, such as stress, anxiety, depression, or another health condition. It can also be caused by lifestyle choices, like medication you take, a lack of exercise, jet lag, or your caffeine intake. Sleep apnea: Occurs when your breathing temporarily stops during sleep due to a blockage in your upper airways. These pauses in breathing interrupt your sleep, leading to many awakenings throughout the night. Sleep apnea is a serious, and potentially life-threatening sleep disorder. If you suffer from this disorder, it’s important to talk to a doctor and get a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. This device delivers a stream of air to your airways while you sleep and can successfully treat the disorder. [30] X Expert Source Alex Dimitriu, MDSleep Specialist Expert Interview. 16 October 2019. Restless leg syndrome: (RLS) is a sleep disorder caused by an irresistible urge to move your arms and legs. This urge usually occurs when you’re lying down and is due to uncomfortable, tingly sensations in your arms and legs. Narcolepsy: This sleep disorder involves excessive, uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. It is caused by a dysfunction of the mechanism in your brain that controls sleeping and waking. If you have narcolepsy, you may have “sleep attacks” where you fall asleep in the middle of talking, working, or even driving.
A sleep center can also provide you with equipment to monitor your activities while awake and asleep, at home.
