Easy tips to maintain a healthy sleeping cycle

Thank you! everyone who liked my previous blog regarding PCOS and many of you asked me to that deal with poor sleeping pattern in sedentary lifestyle due to stressful work load and hectic life. Many of you spend so much time in local travel or work schedule. It is very difficult to take a proper sleep at night.

Sleep is a very underrated thing. We spend about one-third of our life sleeping. As a doctor I suggest an adult to take 7-8 hours of sleep in a day. Many of us remain sleep deprived in working days or overslept specially on weekends and off day and hence come the obesity, hormonal diseases related to menses and incurable but controllable systemic diseases like, hypertension, diabetes and many cardiac diseases.

As all of you probably have made a daily routine/time table that you face problem to follow due to hectic life. So try to follow as per your need ’cause every person has different lifestyle. But your body needs rest and that is good sleep of 7-8 hours at night. So here are two scenarios first case is either you can sleep in day but can’t at night or you can’t sleep anytime of the day. For second case you need medical help for your insomnia. So better consult a doctor and take those prescribed medicines as per instructions.

And those who can sleep anytime but can’t in night like if you want to sleep at 12 and wake up around 7 AM in the morning. It’s not easy to do follow right, you’re not getting sleepy at 12 AM? It’s better to make your brain make you do.

For that you can try to follow these easy tips that you can follow practically in your life:

1.) Stop sleeping in daytime, avoid taking naps. Yes! if you brain sleeping cycle is disturbed most probable cause is you’re sleeping or taking naps in day. And yes! if you are like what the hell? I am feeling super tired and need to nap. Do one thing, set an alarm of 20 min. Take a power nap not more than once in a day only if you strictly feel so. Wake up! after 20 min and wash your face with fresh tap water then don’t take a look on bed.

2.) Don’t rest in your bed: Many of us specially on off days and weekends. Work from home guys I am talking about you as well. Don’t just lie around on your bed for no reason. Chair and sofa are made for comfortable working and not your recliner and bed. Get up lazy pants! if you can’t sleep don’t stay on your bed for more than 20 min and read books or scroll social networking timelines on the table and sit in chair. Taking unnecessary rest make you wake up at night.

3.) Stick to your sleeping routine: and learn to keep things in priorities. Doing unnecessary work disturbs your productive work life and hence disturbs sleeping pattern. Always keep silence in your bedroom before sleep. Maintain your room around 25*C in all seasons. Never touch snooze button, it is devil’s button of your alarm clock. Wake up and take morning shower to get refreshed. Soon an alarm clock will set in your mind and you don’t even need set to alarm for your desired sleep cycle.

4.) Avoid cool blue light: Blue light that comes from your smartphone, tablet, notebook PC etc are harmful for your eyes and sleeping cycle as well. This blue light restrain the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep cycle or circadian rhythm. So keep your gadgets in night shift mode (apple users) or install flux app for android and PC users. Also keep the surrounding of your bedroom dim light preferably in warm yellow hue. There are energy efficient LED bulbs available that gives tungsten bulb like warm yellow colour in market, it really helps.

5.) Avoid eating before sleeping: It is fairy important to give your stomach and digestive system a good rest before sleep. Take your meal at least 3-4 hours before sleep. Your dinner should lighter than the day meal. Also avoid nicotine and caffeine that are present in cigarette and coffee respectively. Take dietary rich food that contains melatonin like mushrooms, cereals and germinated legumes or seeds.

6.) Still can’t feel sleepy at your desired time?: If you can’t still sleep try to do intense workout or exercise in evening. Do it for at least half an hour. Also meditation and yoga can help you. By all these excises your body will get super tired and you can fall on the bed at your desired time. Voila! Two problems and one simple solution.

Sooner or later you will get comfortable and your sleeping cycle will adjust with a week or two perfectly that you don’t even need an alarm clock. If you still struggle after following these above steps. Then I recommend to visit a general physician or psychiatrist for help. Tell everything about your sleeping problems with your doctor. Sleep affects our functioning and our health of today, as well as our long-term health. Chronically not getting good sleep can do a lot of damage. So stay fit and stay healthy.
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