Wednesdays are usually my NO CLASS days. A chance to catch up on sleep and just relax. This is a great depiction of me on those days..
I sat my tired self down, opened my laptop, and sifted through potential post ideas for this week... Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. What? How can this be? I can tell you exactly how this can be...
SLEEP DEPRIVATION.
BAM! IDEA! BLOG POST! YES!
I was going to get all scholastic and give the definition of the term, but I typed in "sleep deprivation definition" into google and, I kid you not, I laughed for a good 5 minutes (might be because I am so tired!). This was my search result:
But not today. I woke up this Wednesday morning to the beautiful ringing of the alarm on my phone... 6:15 AM... YUCK! But alas, I had to babysit my neighbour's three kids and see them off to school for the day. Crappy way to spend a day off if you ask me. What was once a happy stick figure be-bopping around with such enthusiasm was replaced by
I sat my tired self down, opened my laptop, and sifted through potential post ideas for this week... Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. What? How can this be? I can tell you exactly how this can be...
SLEEP DEPRIVATION.
BAM! IDEA! BLOG POST! YES!
I was going to get all scholastic and give the definition of the term, but I typed in "sleep deprivation definition" into google and, I kid you not, I laughed for a good 5 minutes (might be because I am so tired!). This was my search result:
sleep deprivation
Web definitions
|
|
a form of psychological torture
psychological torture
torture
Ahh, mysterious web source on Google, you've taken the words right out of my mouth.
I will be the first to admit that I have crummy habits that ultimately bite me in the butt after a night's sleep. I say night's SLEEP because it is not a night's REST. No, sir.
Obviously sleep is important, but how many of us are actually getting the sleep we so desperately crave in the middle of our morning classes?
After some painstakingly difficult research (I googled a few websites, WHOOP!), I can conclude that NOT ENOUGH of us (actually, only about 15% or less) are actually getting the required amount of sleep we need to function at our best (about 8.5 hours should do the trick!).
WELL THEN. This is a problem, isn't it? How can we perform well in school with no fuel to push us through the day? It's simple... we can't. We can try, and sometimes we can make it through the day, but are we doing the best we could be doing? Let's ask the Doctor!
NO. So we must tackle this problem from a different angle. Instead of dealing with the tiredness from lack of sleep, we are going to discuss ways we can fall into a peaceful little coma for about 8.5 hours every night.
If you are struggling to get a good night's rest and often wake up feeling even more tired than when you went to bed, you might want to try some of these tips!
- Stay away from electronics prior to sleeping! - Yes. We all have phones, computers, TV's. But AVOID them before you put yourself to bed! The stimulation that these devices cause will keep you from falling asleep!
- Do not consume caffeine past 2:00PM!- Coffee, pop, etc. are no no's if you don't want to be bouncing off walls at 11PM.
- Have a set bedtime and wake up time!- Building a consistent sleeping routine will help your body feel less tired in the mornings! Try to maintain this routine on weekends as well.
- Don't eat, drink, or exercise in the hours prior to bedtime!- Instead of stimulating your body, try to do calm activities to help relax your mind and muscles. Try to hydrate during the day to help avoid being thirsty before bed... No one likes having to pee at 2 in the morning!
- Get comfortable!- Sometimes getting a good night's rest is as easy as having a soft pillow, a nice mattress, or the right pyjamas! Sleeping in a cooler room can also help one relax and get comfortable at night!
Now these are basic tips (Via: my mother who is a nurse manager of a mood disorders program), but they are some of the most commonly disregarded actions!
If you are still struggling to find the perfect antidote for your sleeping problems, try visiting some of these sites!
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-benefits-10/slideshow-sleep-tips
http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/natural-remedies/20-ways-sleep-better-every-night
http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/sleep/basics/10-tips-for-better-sleep.htm
So now I turn to you, my awesome readers, and ask for some input. Do any of you guys have secret remedies for sleep deprivation? Any pre-bed routines that help you fall asleep? Deals with crossroads demons that you've made in order to get a solid 8.5 hours worth of beauty sleep every night? (Sorry, I watch too much Supernatural)
Before I go, please enjoy this gif of an adorable sleeping kitten!
A great role model for the sleep deprived student. Let his cuteness relax you. Deep breaths. Now aspire to sleep like this kitten.
-Taylor xx
