Goodnight Sleep Matters……….

Sleep….important yet one of the most neglected needs of our body. Try not eating for a day, or drinking water for a day (many do observe such fasts) but try not sleeping for a day…. your body will crash!

Sleep is essential for almost all our daily functions. Performing our daily tasks to being physically and emotionally healthy, or a general sense of well-being, and overall productivity, is all determined by a good night’s sleep. Besides, ability to handle stress and find suitable ways to deal with situations, as well as problem solving capacity is all affected by sleep.Thus, sleep plays a pivotal role in helping our body deal with the daily wear and tear.

For sure good sleep is important for all. A student will need it for concentration, to understand new concepts and to comprehend what they study. In fact, memory depends on sleep, the storage and assimilation of all those answers and formulas happens in the CPU aka your brain while you sleep!

Furthermore, a working professional who spends hours trying to achieve targets, dealing with work pressures as well as balancing home and work will need sleep to sustain effectively.

Additionally, a homemaker, who is at home, as well will need good sleep to take care of children and to perform daily chores. Being alert enough while cooking needs those peaceful sleeping hours!

Science has proven that good sleeping habits,approximately 6 to 7 hours of sleep enhances academics, increases concentration , and boosts productivity. Lets not forget good sleep leads to healthy immune system (Corona, COVID-19, rings a bell?).

On the other hand, poor sleeping habits in turn can lead to obesity, not a surprise because people who sleep poorly consume unnecessary calories. It also leads to other health hazards besides, psychological issues like irritability, depression, or poor decision making.

In observance with the above, there are only benefits of sleeping well and only ill effects of not sleeping well. So, what can we do to improve our sleeping habits? Here, we go with few essential tips:
• Follow sleep hygiene. Yes, the term exists and no, you don’t need soap and sanitizers for it! The current lifestyle of the majority of the urban population ignores all the requirements of sleep hygiene. Let’s change this gradually.
• Try to limit screen time after 8.00 p.m. Lights from the screens of laptops, televisions, phones etc. tell your brain to remain awake.
• Keep lights dim at night.
• Listen to soothing music before sleeping.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine (colas, chocolate, tea, coffee) at night.
• Exercise in the mornings, if you have to in the evenings do so at least 3 hours before bedtime.
• Don’t study or work in bed.
• You can think about the problems to be resolved during the day, at bedtime you can safely put those issues aside.
• Deep breathing and meditation calm the mind and help us sleep better.

We have only our bodies to live in, our home! Let’s give it rest, let us sleep well, and let us sleep peacefully.Let’s reclaim, our right as well as duty to sleep. Good Night! Sleep Tight!

Mallika S. Iyer
Counseling Psychologist
CAREER HORIZONS
3rd May 2021