Warning: you need way more sleep to stay ahead

Are you on top of your game or are you spinning too many plates at once?

Are you coping perfectly well with less than 6 hours sleep a night?

Are you sure?

We are all genetically programmed to be awake during the day and to sleep at night - and that includes you!

You may think that you are managing just fine on less than six hours sleep a night - but the latest research on the subject strongly suggests otherwise.

When tested, people who are sleep deprived often don’t recognise their own limitations. Like a drunk, they have no idea how impaired they are.

In fact, averaging only four hours of sleep for consecutive nights has an impact on our memory, attention span and speed of thinking that is the equivalent of being legally intoxicated.

The results are extreme fatigue, emotional instability, lower productivity, greater susceptibility to illness, compromised cognitive capacity and poor judgment.

Why don’t we get enough sleep?

In my opinion, sleep is hugely undervalued in modern society. In fact, many of us have completely forgotten how to get a good night’s sleep and we have lost any sense of why it really matters.

And I’m not the only one who feels that way. Professor Franco Cappuccio, a consulting physician and an expert in cardiovascular medicine and epidemiology at the University of Warwick, says:

“There is an expectation in today's society to fit more into our lives. The whole work/life balance struggle is causing too many of us to trade in precious sleeping time to ensure we complete all the jobs we believe are expected of us.”

Sound familiar?

Go to sleep!

How much sleep do you get a night?

The National Sleep Foundation recommends getting between seven and nine hours of uninterrupted, good quality sleep each night. Precious few of us can manage on less than five hours of sleep on a regular basis.

How is it harming you?

In the fast-paced modern world, many of us seem to think that we can just go on and on like a machine and our bodies will just find a way to cope.

But we don’t cope and there is a cost to driving our bodies this way.

Extensive research suggests the following side effects commonly result from regular lack of sleep:

- Less resilience to stress, depression and mental illness

- Poor memory

- Dying younger

- Too little sleep can make you fat

- Increased risk of dying from heart disease

- Increased risk of stroke, diabetes and cancer

So what can you do?

Being aware of the fact that you are getting too little sleep and the value of adequate sleep means that you can make the issue more of a priority.

If you don’t have the option of sleeping longer in the morning then you will need to get to bed earlier in the evening.

Here are some tips for you to try so you can get enough good quality sleep:

1. Be patient

If you decide to go to bed earlier you may, initially, find yourself waking earlier as your body has become used to your previous sleeping pattern. If this happens just lie quietly, relaxing until it is time for you to get up and give your body permission to get more sleep. Even if you are not sleeping you are getting more rest. After about a week or so your body should adjust.

2. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends

If you procrastinate about going to bed then set an alarm to remind you that it is bedtime and then stop what you are doing and go to bed as planned.

3. Establish a routine

Begin quieting down about thirty-to-sixty minutes before you turn out the lights. Establish a nightly relaxation ritual that can include reading a not-too-exciting book, taking a bath, drinking a glass of milk or herbal tea or anything else that soothes you.

4. Digitally detox

We are more connected than ever before - and it's wreaking havoc on our sleep patterns. Put away your phones, tablets, laptops and other electrical devices an hour before going to bed.

The blue light emitted by these devices interferes with melatonin production and sends your body the message that it’s daytime, which wakes you up just as you should be winding down.

5. Design your sleeping environment

Your bedroom should be cool, between 60 and 67 degrees, free from noise that can disturb your sleep and it should be dark. Consider using blackout curtains, eyeshades, earplugs, ‘white noise’ machines and other devices. Don’t work, watch TV, check e-mails or talk on the phone from bed.

6. Park your worries

If you are a worrier you may find that you can’t get to sleep or you may wake in the night with your mind going like a hamster in a wheel. Try keeping a notebook and pencil by your bedside table and write down what’s on your mind. This will give your brain permission to release it from your conscious awareness and you will be less likely to lie awake ruminating.

7. Avoid bright light in the evening and expose yourself to sunlight in the morning

This will keep your circadian rhythms in check. Even artificial indoor lighting can be bright enough to prevent the release of melatonin so relax in dim lighting in the evening.

8. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine and heavy meals in the evening

They can all disrupt sleep. Eating big or spicy meals can cause discomfort from indigestion that can make it hard to sleep. It is good to finish eating at least two to three hours before bedtime.

9. Exercise

Regular physical activity can improve the quality of your sleep, helping you sleep deeper and fall asleep faster. But complete all exercise at least three hours before bedtime.

If you still can't sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired.

Remember, it takes time to change habits and the length of time you have been sleeping is a habit just like any other so stick with it and persevere to reap the benefits.

Get in touch

I’d love to hear from you about how you’ve been able or tried to overcome problems with sleeping. Let me know in the comments section what’s worked for you and what hasn’t.

And please share these tips via social media if you have a moment. You never know if YOUR share could spark a breakthrough for someone who really needs it.