Nearly all of us view sleep as a necessity yet don’t treat it with the respect it deserves. Without our regulated 6-8 hours every night we can remain sluggish and run-down the next day and if this problem persists we may end up with permanent and more damaging physical or psychological problems.
Why can’t we sleep?
Bedtime procrastination as it is referred to by medical professionals is defined as ‘failing to go to bed at a certain time, while no external circumstances prevent the person from doing so’. This means the person doesn’t want to go to bed, but why? It’s often FOMO: the fear of missing out, the belief that whatever your doing has legs and if you sleep you will miss golden opportunities to do achieve something you apparently couldn’t in the five hours of nighttime you previously doing it in.
What can help? -Finding the right number
As stated above, six to eight hours is the recommended time you need for sleep each night as a human being. However, everyone is unique and while some are programmed to snooze ’till midday, others wake, bolt upright before daybreak. Experiment (when you’re not working preferably) with different lengths of time and see how groggy or invigorated you feel when you wake up.
Heard of: The Military Method: Sleep Like a Baby (?) – try it!
Don’t set a bedtime
If you have a bedtime window slowly creeping up on you, your mind remains busy because it’s all you will think about. With no expectations placed on you, there’s no pressure and as such the idea of going to bed doesn’t seem as bad as it ordinarily would.
Bedtime rituals
Often it’s the little things that make the most difference. You may be more inspired to hit the hay if you are wearing your pyjamas or have just run yourself a bath. You should make the idea of sleep seem ritualistic and attractive to you rather than a chore, something you have to do to recharge. Look forward to it but making yourself as comfortable as possible for it.
Limit tech time
The idea of sleep procrastination isn’t a modern phenomenon for no reason. With the increasing accessibility of phones and tablets, we have a sea of knowledge and activities a few taps away. Addiction to social media or gaming often isn’t immediately unhealthy but if you’re spending hours looking at a screen, at the risk of sounding like an exasperated parent, put it down!
