Normal Versus Abnormal!
Most of us lose sleep when we have exams, when we have interviews for jobs the next day, or meeting a stranger for the first time. If it is for few days like 2-3 days then it's completely normal but if it extends to more than 7 days then you need to talk to an expert for this, because it may lead to prolonged insomnia or cognitive decline in long term.
It's a balancing act of work, family, study and all the usual day to day chores for most of us and let's be honest sleep often comes last on the list. But adequate sleep is important. Keeps your brain sharp, your mood stable and your body healthy.
Why ? Sleep is not merely time off. As you sleep, your body grows, matures and flushes toxins from your brain. Your brain gets flexible, learns new things, locks in memories. That’s not passive rest, it’s your body working overtime to ensure you’re ready for the next day.
Lately, more people are waking up (pun not intended) to the dangers of not getting enough sleep. Survey finds one in three adults in India suffers from some sort of sleep problem. One in five people have actually fallen asleep at the wheel, and nearly as many have called in sick because they were just too tired. It’s not only you feeling groggy, bad sleep ripples out affecting public safety and work.
So, what does bad sleep look like? Anything from trouble falling asleep, tossing and turning, waking up too early or just not feeling rested. Some people sleep too much during the day, which can be a sign of another problem, such as hypersomnia. A weird, shifting sleep schedule can mess things up, too.
Skimp on sleep long enough and things start to come apart at the seams. You get irritable, forgetful, and your focus suffers. Simple tasks become more difficult and relationships suffer. “It messes with your whole quality of life.
But there is good news. If you want help, evidence based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and mindfulness based strategies can be effective. Here are five simple, evidence-based ways to begin sleeping better:
1. Shut Off Screens Before Bed.
Staring at your phone or laptop just before bed is not doing you any favors. The light – and the doom scrolling – plays havoc with your body clock, making it harder to switch off. If possible, put away all screens for an hour before bedtime. And if you do wake up in the nite, don’t check your phone, either. If your brain is supposed to be chilling out, reading emails or social media is going to get it buzzing.
2. Don’t Feed Catastrophic Thoughts
Sometimes you wake up and your mind starts to race. "I'll never fall back asleep," or "Tomorrow will be a disaster." Those thoughts only create anxiety and make you not sleep. Mindfulness can be helpful here – try to observe these worries without engaging with them. Maybe you label them as “just anxiety” or “catastrophizing” and then gently bring your attention back to the present moment. You don’t have to fight with these thoughts, just notice them and let them go.
3. Maintain a routine
“Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, to keep the internal clock stable.” While sleeping in on weekends is awesome, it can mess things up when Monday comes. If you must nap, make it short and not too late in the afternoon, or you’ll be robbing yourself of sleep at nite. And don’t forget a comfortable sleeping environment counts too.
4. Use the Bed Only for Sleeping
If you use your bed as an office, a place to eat, or a place to watch Netflix, your brain begins to think bed equals “awake time.” Try to only use your bed for sleeping and sex. If you cannot fall asleep, get up, do something relaxing in low light until you feel sleepy and try again. If necessary, repeat. Eventually your body figures out that bed is for sleeping, not tossing and turning.
5. Get Moving (But Not Too Late)Getting regular physical activity helps you sleep better overall. Exercise - whether it’s walking, swimming or hitting the gym - can relieve tension, reduce blood pressure and prepare your body for sleep. If you do have sleep apnea, some exercise can help, but it is no substitute for proper medical treatment. Just try not to exercise strenuously right before bed, as this can get you all wound up.
In the end, it’s not easy to balance all your responsibilities with a good sleep. But developing a good routine, turning off screens at nite, managing anxious thoughts, using your bed for sleep, and staying active can all help make a real difference.
If you're still battling sleepless night or feeling exhausted around the clock, don't suffer in silence. Talk to a health care professional, a psychiatrist, who can help figure out what’s going on and create a plan that works for your life. Sometimes the first big step for better sleep is to get help.
