Image courtesy of Mayr
We all want to get better sleep in these hectic days of long hours and high stress. But the fact is, this isn’t always possible. For Liz and I, going out to dinner the other night resulted in upset stomachs and a full night of tossing and turning. We learned what not to eat, but had to ride out the storm none the less. By morning we had bags under our eyes and had very little energy. I got up, made breakfast and started on my normal routine, but found it much harder to get anything done. Does this ever happen to you?
Share your secrets.
In this edition of Community Insight I would like you guys to share with the rest of us your plan of attack when these less than pleasant mornings bite you on the butt. Let us know how you salvage your day and avoid falling behind because of less shuteye.
I think this is an important topic because if we don’t have effective ways of dealing with this, we will always be at the mercy of that sometimes too common sleepless night. So help us fill the comments with insight so we all can learn more about productivity, regardless of sleep.
Wait until the little one arrives. You think you’re tired now!
I’m not sure I have too much advice as I’ve always found it easy to fall asleep, but sometimes the wife and I will take turns (when possible) that day taking naps while the other watches the kiddos.
Coffee helps. If you don’t love it now, you will learn to (or maybe not). Just beware that too much of it could cause you to speak with the dead. Witness: http://www.chasingsanity.com/coffee-cheaper-than-a-psychic/
Wow, seriously, I too had one of those nights last night, but I have no idea what it was that I ate that made me feel that way. I find that a can of coke helps my stomach the following morning. I know the carbonation can be a little challenging to some people after a night like that, but I find that I can usually tolerate it. Also, if you don’t have a chance to slip back into bed anytime soon, the coke will keep you awake for a bit. Not as much as coffee, but I’m not a coffee drinker, so I recommend coke.
Well, I usually can deal with sleepless nights because I sleep enough during other nights. So my advise would be to get enough sleep every day and you will deal with one horrible night easily.
How I manage to get enough sleep, you say? Well, I decided to not watch television anymore. This makes me turn to bed earlier, gives me more reading time ánd I can get many more things done in the evenings.
Chasing Sanity’s right my friend. A year from now, you’re going to really want to know how to “get better sleep.”
Writer Dad’s last blog post..Four Seasons
@ChasingSanity.com and Sean: I get it, I get it! My 8 hours of sleep per night is going to change to 8 hours per week. I’m SO looking forward to it! Kinda, not really…
@Frances: I hear ya about the caffeine, I just don’t ingest the stuff. I end up totally crashing. I have a super sensitive system. But I like the Coke concept, though.
@(i): That’s a great point! It’s only when we’re barely getting sleep the other nights that one bad night’s sleep can knock us off our game. Eric
I was a terrible insomniac until I had a baby. Now I can sleep at a moment’s notice. I’m so tired. It’s a happy tired so it’s all good.
I also try to read fiction before bed, and avoid t.v. shows before bed.
Since mornings are so hectic, I pack lunches, wash bottles, and set out clothes the night before. I can’t sleep as well when there is unfinished business.
I’m a terrible sleeper so have become used to feeling pretty rough in the mornings. I took part in a study which was researching improving sleep. This required me to only spend 6 hours in bed each day for two weeks, and being a bad sleeper I didn’t even sleep for all 6. By the end of it I was utterly exhausted but I could still function. Taking part in this made me realise that missing out on sleep is not the end of the world so I no longer fret over it. I try not to dwell on it and just get on with things. I do have an extra long shower if it’s been really bad though!
Julian’s last blog post..What I Learnt About Fear From Throwing People Off A Building
@Kay: I get what you’re saying. There’s definitely something nice about being able to doze at a drop of a hat. You kind of have a euphoric feeling all the time.
@Julian: I agree that dwelling on it does us no good, but for me, too many poor night’s sleep will start to make me feel depressed. Those feel good hormones aren’t getting replenished in my brain and I have less drive to do just about anything. But I’m glad you can function without it. Some of us don’t have a choice so it’s important to make the most of it and move on. Eric
Hey Eric,
Prevention is better then cure. It is good to avoid doing things that disrupt our sleep quality and feeling like zombie on another day. I wrote on article about how to sleep better and I hope to share it with other readers. Here is the link to the article http://www.healthmoneysuccess.com/677/how-to-have-good-sleeping-habits/
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
Vincent’s last blog post..10 Tips To Help You Sleep Better
They say the best things in life are free.
What could be better than a good nights rest?
Bamboo Forest – PunIntended’s last blog post..Clowns are Downright Creepy
@Vincent: “Prevention is better then cure.” No doubt about that!
@Bamboo Forest: There’s nothing better! It IS funny, though, how we spend so much money for things when as you point out, the best things in life are free. Eric
Sleep deprivation is one of my closest friends. Ok, not really, but it’s been around for so long, I might as well call it a friend. I don’t have any answers. I drink a lot of coffee or tea in the mornings, but no caffeine after lunchtime, so it’s mostly out of my system before bedtime. I don’t usually eat after dinner (which at our house is around 5:30) so there’s nothing in my system to give me weird dreams.
My issue isn’t with getting to sleep, it’s staying asleep. After having two children, I became a very light sleeper so just about anything will wake me up. And while I can usually get back to sleep fairly quickly, it’s still interrupted.
Good luck finding the cure. When you do, let me know, k?
Kool Aid’s last blog post..worthless
I can totally relate! If I dont’ get enough sleep/good quality sleep it’s very hard to function for the rest of the day. Since caffiene is a no-no for you all I can really recommend is:
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1) seeing if you can take the day off to recover or at least cut the day short to make sure you get to bed early.
2) Make sure you start your day with a to-do list (of no more than 10 things) and then pick out your top 3 (Most Important Things), those are the things you absolutely have to get done today. If you can get those done then it’ll be much easier for you to relax at the end of the day and get to bed early to recover from the night before. (credit to Simple Mom blog
Definitely protect your relax/sleep time at the end of the day, make time to get ready for bed early, take a warm bath, read a relaxing book, whatever it takes to get you ready for restful, long sleep. One night of a good quality 8-10 hours will catch you up pretty well.