The Importance of Regular Sleeping and Waking Cycles
Numerous things can get in the way of establishing regular sleep and waking cycles. The fact is, you’re much healthier if you can sleep during the night and be awake during the day. If you struggle with sleeping, the night shift may not be ideal for your needs.
Some people have jobs that require that they work at night. If that is the case for you, unfortunately, you can’t change it. The best course of action is establishing a regular sleep and wake schedule that makes sense for your personal life, keeping in mind the importance of sunshine, hydration, diet, and darkness during sleep.
• Keep Your Sleep Schedule Consistent – No matter what job you have, knowing that consistency is important makes your life steady to your schedule. If you work at night and sleep during the day, set your life up to work with that lifestyle if you can. Otherwise, it’s important to change your job, especially if you’re struggling with insomnia.
• Allow Yourself the Time Needed – You need 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night, even if you’re off work the next day. You cannot catch up on your sleep either. Instead, give yourself enough time to really get in that 7 to 9 hours by getting into bed after winding down when it’s time to sleep. Getting in bed exactly seven hours before your clock wakes you is not conducive to getting enough sleep.
• Get Daylight Every Day – The time and amount of light you get on your body and in your eyes is also important. If you work the night shift, it might be best to avoid sunlight as much as possible until you get the sleep you need. If you operate a normal schedule, it’ll be a lot simpler for you.
• Reduce Artificial Lights Before Sleep – Looking at your computer, your smartphone, and other electronics and artificial light can interfere with your ability to get to sleep when you need to. Turn the lights off and make your space dark and cozy to help trigger your sleep mode.
• Cut Down on Screentime Before Sleep – Stopping the phone, scrolling, and watching TV are going to be some of the best ways to signal to your brain that you are ready to go to bed and sleep.
Using the timeline you’ve set up, stick to a schedule that enables you to get to bed when it’s time and get up when it’s time. If you don’t set aside the right amount of time to eat right, exercise, take care of your errands and family, and get ready for bed and sleep, it will be hard to succeed. But setting up your day to enable you to have a consistent wake and sleep cycles will go far in eliminating your sleep issues and avoiding anxiety.
Establishing regular sleeping and waking cycles is a fundamental step in improving sleep quality. This tip is part of our comprehensive guide on 10 Proven Tips to Avoid Insomnia and Sleep Better Every Night. Next, learn why it’s important to Stop Taking Long Naps.
