Overscheduled And Under Slept? -It’s Time To Reprioritize!

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding sleep debts.

A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about sleep debts.

In today’s fast paced world, full of responsibilities, worries, and pressures there seems to always be a demand on our time. Running at this pace for prolonged periods of time eventually catches up and causes physical, emotional, and mental stress.

Over Scheduling

Over scheduling takes place when we have our children in every sports activity, every art class, every theatrical production, etc Being busy and never slowing down has become the equivalent of being a good mom, or happy, or whatever it is that we attain to be.

We have deadlines to meet, our daily life responsibilities, and bills to pay, end up higher on the priority list. We need to take time to sleep and rest. Sleep is a great healer of physical and emotional stress. Naps are okay. Humans need sleep.

Being overly tired makes us clumsy, irritable, and slow. Studies have shown that people who sleep less than six hours a night are at a higher risk of sleep-related motor vehicle crashes.

Sleep loss amplifies the effects of chronic illness as well as mood disorders. Insomnia leads to depression and vice versa. Conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes are harder to control when sleep is insufficient.

You are affecting the lives of your friends, family, and possibly the quality of your work, if you are a workaholic.

Time to Reprioritize

It is time to reprioritize, if you find yourself trying to do too much at once. Write down what you need to the next day before bedtime. This might help you go to sleep faster.

A plan for your day may also rid you of anxiety about the multiple demands on your time. First, prioritize your goals, plan your day, and try to stay focused on the key tasks you need to do for that day.

What is significant is making sure that the number of hours of sleep you get is the right amount for you as well as making the most of your waking hours.

It will help you get the sleep you need and you will sleep better without the guilt and anxiety, if you are productive and getting things done during the day.

Getting enough sleep is vital not only for your physical and mental well-being, but also is helpful to keep your creative juices flowing. Lack of sleep can make you stressed, angry, sad and tired during the day.

Health experts agree that sleep is as necessary to your health as food and water. The lack of sleep makes it harder to remember, learn, think, and make good decisions.

It also lowers your productivity and your capability to deal with stress. Safety issues are also of concern when drivers are not operating at maximum potential. Drowsy drivers considerably contribute to car accident statistics and need to take breaks at least every two hours.

Here are some tips on reducing your sleep debt:

Make Time For Sleep.

Get an adequate amount of sleep each night. Identify the amount of sleep needed to be fully alert all day, and get that amount every night. Establish a regular sleep schedule.

This involves going to bed at the same time every night, and waking up at the same time every morning, including weekends, without an alarm clock. Get continuous sleep.

It needs to be the required amount in one continuous block of time for sleep to be rejuvenating. Make up for lost sleep. One should pay back their sleep debt in a timely fashion by making up for any lost sleep as soon as possible.

Lower Your Bedroom Temperature.

A cooler environment means better sleep. Darken your bedroom with shades and curtains. Avoid caffeine less than five hours before bedtime. Don’t activate your brain by doing stressful activities like watching a scary movie, reading a thriller, or balancing your checkbook.

Do Not Nap

Napping during the day increases the chances that you will have difficulty falling asleep.

Tips To Fall Asleep Soon After Going to Bed

To restore a regular sleep-wake schedule and increase the likelihood of falling asleep soon after going to bed, do the following:

Set a consistent wake up time that does not change, not even on weekends or holidays. Resist the urge to stay in bed longer to catch up on sleep. A consistent wake-up time will eventually reset your internal sleep-wake cycle and improve your sleep.

Restrict Your Time Spent In Bed

Restrict your time spent in bed to the amount of time that you actually sleep. This is the most difficult advice for people with insomnia to follow, but delaying your time to bed until you are experiencing mild sleep deprivation promotes falling asleep faster.

You are getting the same amount of sleep as before, just consolidated into one period of sleep. Don’t limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about sleep debts. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what’s important.