Sara Essam
Have you been angry for no reason?
Do you have a continuous, non-healing headache and you can't concentrate on anything?
If you take a minute to think about the answer to these questions, you will come to the conclusion that sleep deprivation is the reason behind it.
As university students and young adults, we often prioritize lots of activities and duties over sleeping. The outcomes of this act might not be seen or even recognized now, but it surely affects us on the long run.
A good night sleep might be taken for granted, but it’s a huge blessing that needs to be always prioritized. A good night sleep can affect you in every way. It affects your mood, your energy level and your appetite. This definitely has an impact on your social life, body, your daily progress and your confidence.
Sleep can help you feel more alert, optimistic, and get along with people better. It also helps your body to ward off disease. Without enough sleep, the brain cannot function properly. This can impair your ability to concentrate, think clearly, and process memories.
Clete A. Kushida, MD, PhD, associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University Medical Center, an attending physician at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic, director of the Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research and a member of the AASM board of directors says: “There are data that sleep loss leads to learning and memory impairment, as well as decreased attention and vigilance.”
“In the student-age population, studies have found that factors such as self-reported shortened sleep time, erratic sleep/wake schedules, late bed and rise times, and poor sleep quality have been found to be negatively associated with school performance for adolescents from middle school through college. Thus, there is ample evidence to indicate that the lack of adequate nighttime sleep can lead to disturbances in brain function, which in turn, can lead to poor academic performance.”
Different people need different amounts of sleep. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night for good health and mental functioning. Some adults need up to 9 hours a night.
Here are some habits that can help you improve your sleeping pattern:
·Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends. This will eventually turn out to be your natural alarm.
·Stop the clock. I know this may sound unbelievable, but it has been proven that looking at the clock will only stress you out when you need to be winding down.
· Create a restful environment. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature.
· Remove electronic devices such as TVs, computers, and smart phones from the bedroom. Studies has proven that limiting screen time 2 hours before sleep has proven effectiveness in the treatment of insomnia and other sleep disorders.
· Breathe. Deep breathing has a calming effect on the body which makes it a great exercise for bed time. For this reason you will find deep breathing exercise incorporated into most relaxation technique for sleep.
· Watch what you eat. Avoid large meals and caffeine.
· Don’t use tobacco.
· Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night. Lots of people use this way of physically exhausting their body, by exercising before bedtime to rapidly sink into sleep once they lay their head down.
Always remember: PRIORITIZING GOOD SLEEP IS SELF LOVE.
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