Tag Archives: sleep therapists

The last thing that you might want after an exhausting day at the office is tossing and turning in bed the whole night and getting up next morn, feeling restless and piqued. Sleeping soundly through the night, for 7-8 hours, is indispensable if you want to start and end the following day on a high note. However, a good majority of people, both young and old, spend sleepless nights or make do with just a few hours of sleep.

The stress that results from living a fast-paced and hectic life is surely the chief culprit that keeps an individual awake when he or she should be sleeping. On the other hand, not being able to sleep peacefully on a recurrent basis eventually leads to several health issues. Besides stress, leading an undisciplined lifestyle, typified by bad habits could also rob you of your sleep.

Following are some of the most common gaffes that many people make which ultimately prevent them from dozing off along with tips on how to tweak them:-

1. You are hitting the sack too late

Most of us spend the better part of the day trying to complete too many tasks in too little time. We rush through our meals and more often than not, skip our daily workout regimen. When you reach home, you’re thoroughly spent, and by the time you settle down in your sofa to watch your favorite TV program, it’s time to have dinner and hit the sack.

However instead of rushing to bed, you keep on dithering and deferring, and finally, when you do, you find yourself staring at the ceiling hours later. Doctors and sleep therapists suggest that you should retire for the day latest by 9 pm to enjoy a good night’s sleep and to get up feeling refreshed the morning after. There are some tasks which you can delegate to your spouse or postpone until the weekend.

2. Switch off or dim lights before going to bed

The idea of using LED lights is always praiseworthy as this type of lighting is environmentally friendly and also goes a long way in helping you to save on utility bills. However, the downside of using LEDs is that their brightness or luminosity could adversely affect your sleep. Switch off or dim the lights before going to bed.

3. You are not following a routine

Your physiological systems could go haywire if you do not sleep, eat, exercise or work at fixed times. Try following a regular sleeping pattern as well as complete all your routine tasks at the same specific times every day.

4. You are restless and worried about having lost sleep

Being overly anxious about having lost sleep yesterday night could keep you awake for the subsequent nights as well. Just tell yourself it’s perfectly OK to have lost sleep the previous night.

5. Some medications could be keeping you awake

Certain medications including antidepressants, analgesics, and blood pressure medications could keep you from shutting your eyes. Consult your doctor and he or she may put you on another drug.

6. You are glued to the computer or TV when you should be sleeping    

There’s no earthly reason why you should end up stressing yourself watching your favorite team win or lose when the outcome is not going to make a difference to your life. Switch off the TV before it’s too late and jump to bed.

Picture Credit: 12122