Sleep tips are a waste of precious time! Are you one of the many who believes their sleep requirement is a problem? Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, shared that he works up to 120 hours a week in his car factory. His reduced sleep hours were justified to complete the necessary tasks for his multimillion-dollar company. This disclosure supports the assumptions that he possesses superhuman powers which enables him to be so productive and successful.
Meanwhile, insomnia is one of the most common complaints in a medical office. No adult wants to toss and turn in bed, wishing for sleep. Often forgotten in the sleep search are the lessons learned from childhood. Most tired children sleep well. The following are well established childhood sleep tips to obtain rest.
1-Establish a Sleep Signal
Its accepted that every child should have a fixed bedtime. While the hectic lives of adults often require fluctuating sleep times. The benefits obtained from a predictable sleep routine are forgotten with life’s demands. Historically, sleep was the only activity two hours after dusk. There were no electric lights to prolong daytime activities. Today, it’s mainly kids and their tired parents who adhere to sleep schedules within hours after dusk. Most children are given well-known sleep routines, which comprise of dinner, bath, pajamas, story time and lights out. They learn to wind down with repetitive and consistent behaviors that signal sleep. Parents with all levels of experience realize that a tired and sleepy child, when awake, makes everyone miserable. Busy adults easily forget sleep tips that stress the importance of predictable behavior.
2- Manage Time
There are always too many things to do with too little time. The actual “to do list” of evening tasks can be overwhelming! Where do you find extra time to complete tasks of household chores, and organizing and finishing incomplete tasks after a long day? This dilemma starts the insomnia crisis. Are you one of the many who is “caught up” unwinding with their favorite evening activity? Then, it is often a surprise when you realize the actual time. How could it be so late? Now the quick dash to get sleep starts. There is no time to complete the wind-down behaviors that signal sleep. Childhood routines includes behaviors to wind down, such as have a bath, put on pajamas, and read a storybook. Adults are revved up and then forced to abruptly shut down their overstimulated brain. They sprint to their beds for sleep. However, busy minds are unable to shut down so easily for rest.
3- Unplug Electronics
Unplugging ourselves from our electronic devices in an effort to improve rest can be a very challenging sleep tip for adults. Our childhood memories of settling down with activities that induce sleep are often forgotten. Many children were read stories from hard-covered picture books as part of their bedtime ritual. It is not uncommon behavior for adults to read books on tablets, check emails, and surf the internet before bedtime. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), the use of electronic tablets and devices that have blue light-emitting LEDs is problematic for sleep. This form of light limits the natural secretion of melatonin, the neurotransmitter in the sleep-wake cycle that promotes sleep. To ensure good quality sleep, it has become standard medical practice to encourage powering down devices hours prior to bedtime. The Mayo Clinic’s sleep tip further suggests placing your smartphone 14 inches away from your eyes and dimming the brightness.
Sleep Tips Benefits
Start today by thinking of sleep as a significant activity. Remember, sleep routines are a highly effective way of slowing children to get them ready for rest. Kids have a lot of energy! Their bedtime activities enable their brains to slow down for sleep. Adults need to identify the number of hours of sleep they need to wake up rested. The number of hours needed will vary, but the average ranging from six to ten. Give yourself permission to adopt activities that allow your brain to wind down to establish a sleep signal. More than likely you will benefit from personal rewards that include increased task efficiency. You’ll have more free time for fun if your brain is rested
So pick a time for bedtime! Limit the usage of your electronic device to
at least two hours before sleep. Less brain stimulation from cell phones, laptops and tablets has improved the sleep quality for many. Stop spending time reviewing future tasks before sleep. Do a quick brain dump by writing all future tasks on a pad kept by your nightstand. Take a warm and relaxing bath to reduce muscular tension. Remember, sleep is good for you!