Restless night? Try these 3 tips.
Getting enough sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing. On average, an adult requires seven to nine hours of undisturbed sleep each night. During sleep, your body and brain cycles go through four different stages, including non-REM and REM sleep.
To fall into a deep sleep, when recovery, growth and cognitive processing occur, you need to go through the initial stages of the sleep cycle. Failing to sleep properly could reduce the amount of deep sleep and REM sleep that you obtain and this could negatively impact your health.
Inadequate sleep can lead to:
- Fatigue
- Low mood
- Anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sugar cravings
- Unintentional weight gain
- Digestive issues
- Hormonal imbalances
How to recover from a night of poor sleep
If you have a poor night's sleep, it can take your body a while to catch up. Here are some top tips to help you bounce back from a night of poor sleep.
Stick to a regular sleep schedule
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day can help improve your overall sleep. Although it might be tempting to sleep in after a restless night, do your best to get up at your regular time.
It's also important to wind down before you go to sleep each night. Having a regular sleep routine prepares your body for sleep and will make it much easier for you to drift off and achieve a full night of uninterrupted sleep. Include mindfulness and relaxation time in the hours leading up to bed and try to get into bed at a similar time each night.
Avoid napping
It's tempting to jump into bed and take a nap when you've had a poor night's sleep. However, mid-afternoon napping can disrupt your body's natural sleep-wake cycle and make it harder for you to fall asleep in the evening.
Stay positive
Positivity is often the last port of call when you're feeling groggy and lethargic after a poor night's sleep. However, your mindset can make an important difference in tough situations.
Whatever your plans might be, try and focus on the positives and enjoy your day as much as possible. You may not have the same energy that you normally do and you might need to recalibrate your expectations for the day. That’s okay - just remember to be gentle with yourself and give yourself the time during the day that you need.