One of the best ways to boost your energy,
improve your mood and look after your health is to make sure you get a good
night’s sleep every night.
It sounds easy, right? But in fact more
than 1.5 million Australian adults suffer from sleep disorders. A good sleep is
more than just getting eight hours—it’s about a good quality sleep that leaves
you refreshed and ready to start the day.
The eight hours myth isn’t the only one
we’ve found in the quest for some serious shut-eye. Here are some others that
have been busted by the experts.
1.
You can catch-up on sleep during the weekend
If you haven’t slept well during the week,
getting some extra hours over the weekend may help pay back your ‘sleep debt’,
but you can’t bank sleep in advance. It’s better to improve the quality of your
sleep so you’re not exhausted by Friday.
Your body has an internal clock that regulates
hormones to make you sleepy or awake. If you have a regular sleep routine—going
to bed and waking up at the same time every day—you’ll keep your body clock
running ‘on-time’ and experience a good quality sleep.
2.
You can train yourself to be a morning person
A good sleeping pattern may help you become
more alert when you wake, but new research suggests that whether you’re an
early bird or night owl comes down to your genes. Your ‘chronotype’ will affect
whether you usually feel like going to bed and waking early, at a moderate hour
or very late. If you are forced to wake earlier than your body naturally would,
you could suffer from ‘social jet lag’ which can impact your health.
If you can, try to adjust your daily
routine so you’re doing your most important work when your concentration levels
are highest.
3.
If you find it hard to fall asleep, it’s because you’re stressed.
Not being able to fall asleep can be caused
by a range of factors, however it’s usually due to poor sleeping habits. It’s
important to do at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day; steer
clear of caffeine for four hours before bed; and avoid bright lights from TV,
phones or other devices at least 90 minutes before bedtime. Make sure your
bedroom is cool, dim and quiet for the best chance of a good quality sleep.
4.
Napping is only for children
Although napping doesn’t make up for bad
sleeping habits, taking a short nap of about 20 to 30 minutes in the afternoon
can help improve your mood, alertness and performance. Make sure you don’t nap
any later than 3pm, as it could affect the quality of your sleep that night.
5.
What you do in morning doesn’t affect your sleep
Actually, it does. To keep your body clock
running on time, experts suggest you get up and moving as soon as you wake up
(ideally, within two hours of sunrise). You should also expose your eyes to
natural sunlight (no sunglasses) for at least 20 minutes before 10am—this tells
the brain to decrease melatonin in the body—the hormone that makes you sleepy.
The more active and alert you are during the day, the better you’ll sleep at
night.
