Category: Sleep and Wellness

The world is constantly changing, and some may say, it is upgrading. Life has become so much easier with new technology taking over every part of our lives. However, we are paying the price for it too. We sleep much lesser, we are constantly stressed and sleep deprivation is seriously affecting our mental and physical capabilities. More people are lying down in their beds, in the middle of the night, red-eyed and unable to fall asleep. They all have one question screaming in their minds, HOW TO SLEEP FAST?

First, we need to make something clear. Sleeping fast is not a one-time solution. We need to program our internal clock to feel sleepy at a particular time and wake up refreshed. To do this, we have compiled a list of tips and tricks to get your eyes droopy. 

So, How to Sleep Fast? Here’s What You Do!

Keep Your Phone Aside

A lot of people think that watching videos until they fall asleep is a good idea. With the onslaught of videos following the ASMR trend, people are reaching for their phones every night and watching these videos. But blue light has been far from the right answer to your insomnia. In fact, the blue light from your screen triggers your brain to become awake. 

Heed our advice and however hard it may seem, keep your phone locked up when you climb into bed. That said, no cheating with your iPads and your television sets. Watching tv at night is just as bad as using your phone. Your devices have no place in your sleeping habits. 

The 4-7-8 Method

Breathing is an integral part of relaxing your chattering mind. In fact, popular yogi, Adriene, often says in her videos that our spirit is in our breath and we need to always pay attention to it. The 4-7-8 method is a quick breathing technique to relax your mind and invite the ever-evasive sleep. Here’s how you do the 4-7-8 method. 

1. Place your tongue on the roof of your mind, right behind the front teeth. 
2. Exhale through your mouth making a whooshing sound. 
3. Inhale to a count of 4 and keep the breath in for a count of 7. 
4. Exhale to the count of 8, making the same whoosh sound. 

You can repeat this exercise 3-5 times till you are completely relaxed and sleepy. 

Use Blackout Curtains

Our bodies are created to wake up when there’s light out and sleep when there is darkness. In fact, this is the natural rhythm of our bodies. However, in modern times and city living, there are always lights on the street, lights from nearby stores and lights from vibrant city life in general. These lights can cause sleep disruption by triggering your brain to stay awake. 

You can’t go out on a rampage and cause a blackout. What you can do is invest in blackout curtains. These curtains will stop light from entering your bedroom and cause a cool, dark environment that is perfect for sleeping. This environment will drive your brain to relax and cause you to sleep quickly. 

Your Mattress Might Need to Go

Often, one of the things that is keeping us up is the very thing we sleep on. A mattress that is saggy, too soft or too old can cause you to feel uncomfortable. Usually, people who are tossing and turning at night need to take a good look at the mattress. While plush, soft mattresses are what constitutes luxury in the movies we watch, they are no good for our sleep (and our backs). 

The right type of firmness a mattress needs to be is medium firm. These days, online mattress retailers are championing for medium-firm mattresses as not only do they help induce comfortable sleep, but they are also good in relieving pressure points from the body and providing the right amount of support to cradle the contours of the human body. 

Meditate Lying Down

Meditation is an effective tool used by people when they need to clear out their minds. It is also effective for people suffering from insomnia. While clearing out your mind can help you relax faster, it also triggers a physical calmness that can help you fall asleep faster. To do this, lie down on your bed, perfectly still. Don’t move around, even if you feel restless. Take a few deep breaths and observe how your body feels. With each breath in, take account of the cool air rushing in and with each breath out, focus on the warmth in your nostrils. 

It is perfectly normal for thoughts to creep back in. However, don’t force it out. Take the thought that wants to be in the limelight and observe it. While you begin this experiment, you will notice that the thoughts that wanted to fill your headspace will stay back as it is not important or relevant at this moment in time. Many people usually fall asleep during their meditation session itself so it is best to do it lying down. 

Do a Relaxing Activity

After 15 minutes in bed, if sleep still evades you, you might want to get up and leave your bedroom. Head over to your living room and partake in a relaxing activity. This could be reading a book or sipping on a warm cup of chamomile tea. Don’t stay in bed stressing out about the time and your inability to sleep. In fact, stop thinking about it completely. 

You may not want to associate negative feelings or energy about sleep on your bed. Once you begin your activity and start to feel sleepy, don’t rush back into bed. Take your time, take a few deep breaths and saunter back to bed in a relaxed manner. 

A good night constitutes relaxed, deep sleep. This occurs when you are able to achieve quality sleep hygiene every night. If you repeatedly stay awake, you may have a problem with insomnia, stress or anxiety where your nervous system is asking your body to stay awake. To overcome this, you need to be able to adequately relax, leave behind the problems of the day and take part in relaxing sleep rituals till you are able to program your body clock to adhere to your sleep schedule. 

Sleeping early or on time is the best way to get quality rest at night and optimize your mental and physical health. Sleep is defined as a state of reduced awareness and responsiveness. 

Sleep Comprises of Two Phases:

• Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
• Non- REM or slow wave sleep

REM Sleep

REM sleep is characterised by the presence of rapid eye movements during sleep. This type of sleep is less restful and is associated with dreaming and bodily muscle movements. During REM sleep a person is more likely to be aroused by external stimuli than during the Non- REM sleep. Irregular heart beat and breathing are the features of the dream state.

The brain is in a very active state during REM sleep. The electroencephalogram shows brain wave patterns resembling those that occur when a person is awake.

Non-REM Sleep

Non-REM sleep ischaracterisedby deep sleep. The duration of Non-Rem sleep episodes is longer earlier in thenight,when the person tends to be more tired. As one gets more rest during the night, the duration of Non-REM sleep gets shorter.During the Non- REM sleep the blood pressure, breathingandmetabolic rate are significantly low. Bodily movements do not occur during this sleep phase.

Non-Rem Sleep is also referred to as slow wave sleep, as the brain waves are very strong and of significantly low frequency. Though also called as dreamless sleep, dreams and nightmares can occur during Non-REM sleep, but they are remembered as they are consolidated to memory during this phase.

Sleep Cycles

REM sleep occurs at about 90-minute intervals. There are usually 4 to 6 cycles of REM and Non-REM sleep every night. Later into the night, the REM episodes become longer and Non- REM sleepbecomeshorter and lighter.The importance of sleep is clear from the strong evolutionary conservation of sleep. Most animals have evolved in such a way that they spendconsiderableamount of time sleeping, despite sleep making us vulnerable to attack from predators.

Sleep has been considered a restorative or a recovery phase that prepares the body for the next episode of wakefulness. Cell division is more rapid during Non- REM sleep. Sleep has an important function with regard to immune system. Sleep also plays a role in development of brain cells and connections between brain cells during development. Both phases of sleep are involved in memory consolidation. It is a known fact that learning of visual information is improved during the night sleep and sleep deprivation impairs recalling of information.

How Much Sleep Is Enough?

Less than 5-6 hours of sleep in a night is usually associated with symptoms of sleep deprivation. Missing out on the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep does more than feeling of grogginess and grumpiness. The long-term side effects of sleep deprivation are real. It weakens your mental abilities and puts your physical health at great risk. Science has linked poor sleep with obesity, tiredness, uncontrolled hunger levels, poor immunity, impaired memory retention, and early death. Sleep Foundations across the world recommend 7-8 hours of good quality sleep for adults. Sleeping early is the only way to get recommended 7-8 hours of sleep. So how does one sleep on time, when your body has been so much in tune to staying up late?

Let Us Look at a Five-Step Guide to Help You Sleep Early:

Scheduling Your Sleep Does Help

Make a sincere effort to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. This establishes a regular sleep-wake pattern. Adopting the habit of doing the same things each night before sleeping like a warm bath or reading certainly helps in establishing a pattern. Being consistent in your habits can fo a long way to establishing and adhering to a strict sleep schedule. Of course, it is not as easy as it seems as life often gets in the way but consistent and conscious efforts can be the answer to your sleep problems.

Say No to Stimulants!

Caffeine, nicotine, and chocolates can keep you awake way past your snooze time. Understanding not only what these substances do to your sleep cycle but also when and how much of it can be consumed during the day is an important aspect of regulating your sleeping habits. Alcohol can initially seem to aid in sleeping but later into the night may disturb your sleep. Staying away from stimulants at least four hours beforebed timesurely helps you have a peaceful, disruption-free sleep.

Comfy Bed, Oh Yes!

A number of new mattresses are designed to increase comfort and coolness. Memory Foam, organic latex mattresses made from natural materials, Gel-infused foam, hybrids – the number of choices seem endless. However, behind every technology upgrade is a brand investing heavily in R&D to provide their customers with a soothing sleeping experience. You can also use dark blinds, ear plugs, soothing music, and other tools to create a restful environment.

Regular Exercise, a Plus!

Being physically active helps you fall asleep faster. Exercise promotes deeper and more restful slumber. A word of caution though, do not exercise too close to bedtime, as it can leave you too invigorated to fall asleep. A good timeline would be not to exercise anywhere between two-three hours of sleep. It also depends on how intense your workouts are.Light, mindful movement exercises like yoga or tai-chi can help you further relax at night.

Apps for Sleep

There are apps designed to help you sleep better. Sleep Genius tracks your sleep cycles. The app’s efforts were recognized by NASA’s publication, Spinoff. Other apps like Pzizz provide soft music and sounds to encourage peaceful sleep. Podcasts like Sleepy are ingenious ways to combine ASMR with audiobook experiences. Many apps come connected to your smartphones and smartwatches which measures and provides daily sleep data so you can see how well you sleep every night.

Research has shown that getting consistent good quality seven to eight hours of sleep every night is beneficial to your health. Anything less or more can be the reason for a variety of ailments like Diabetes mellitus, heart diseases, and early death. Maintaining a regular sleep routine, preparation for sleep, a comfortable bed, and noise free environment are key elements for a disturbance-free, peaceful siesta.

One thing is for sure, our ancestors knew how to relax. Through the ancient art of yoga, our ancestors were fit, mindful and aware of themselves. However, as time went on, people no longer had the time or the patience to continue their practice. They continued to get stressed and shrunk into a world of materialistic bondage. Now, as the West has begun to popularize yoga practices, mindfulness and awareness, people are slowly inching back to their roots. Once such practice is the Yoga Nidra.

What Is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga nidra or yogic sleep is a deep relaxation technique where the mind goes into a state of semi-consciousness. This is a meditation technique that uses the power of conscious awareness and breathing to immerse oneself on a realm where they connect with their inner self. It is also the easiest method of getting to a place of relaxation and rejuvenation. 

Benefits of Yoga Nidra

Reduces stress

This practice of Yoga Nidra is a simple way of reducing stress, countering anxieties of daily life and freeing the mind. With the different stages of Yoga Nidra, this practice is more effective than meditation. 

Open to All

Your mind must have gone to those fancy yogis who do the Crow Pose wearing Lululemon with an ease you couldn’t muster. But there’s no need to worry as just about anyone can do Yoga Nidra. All it takes it is for you to lie down and listen to the guiding voice.

Connect with your inner self

The power of this practice is one that must be experienced by partaking. You will immediately feel connected to your inner self quite intimately. Since the practice is about awakening the mind, body and the inner spirit, the practitioner would feel a sense of tranquility and oneness.  

Improves sleep

Often, it is the exuberant amounts of stress that keep us up at night. Through the regular practice of Yoga Nidra, you can sleep more deeply as you cast aside the worries and anxieties that would keep you up. 

Helps with psychological wounds

By connecting to your inner self, on a spiritual level, you are able to heal the psychological wounds in your life that contribute to various illnesses like depression and panic disorders. 

How to Practice Yoga Nidra?

Step 1

Yoga Nidra begins with the corpse pose or Shavasana. You lie down on your mat or your bed and remain perfectly still. It is important to not move around or give into restlessness throughout the practice. 

Step 2

Take a few deep breaths and pay attention to the cool air accumulating in your abdomen. As you exhale, pay attention to the warm air leaving your body. Bring your attention to the body’s normal breathing pattern and be aware of the subtle body reactions to this.

Step 3

Bring an intention to your practice. Repeat the affirmation in your mind at the beginning of the practice.  

Step 4

You then begin conducting the body scan. Once you bring your awareness to your right foot, you go through each toe. You bring awareness to your feet, your calf, your thigh, and your hip. With your awareness, you also bring in the intention to relax that part of the body. You then repeat the same process to your left leg. 

Step 5

You then bring awareness to all the parts of your body one by one. You begin with the legs and then move on to your arms, your torso, your genitals, your back, shoulders and so on. 

Step 6

Once your entire body scan is complete, you rest a few minutes in the awareness that you brought about. Take note of how your body feels at this time. 

Step 7

Roll your head side to side. Repeat the intention you had set at the beginning of the practice. 

Step 8

Sit up and open your eyes when you are ready. You have completed your Yoga Nidra practice. 

Yoga Nidra is an awareness practice that can be done with or without a yoga teacher. Many people have been able to use guided Youtube videos to regularly practice Yoga Nidra. This form of guided meditation has reduced stress and the symptoms of depression to a great degree. 

Once you have achieved a state of complete relaxation, you are able to put into objective the importance of being level headed in our daily lives. While you may not be able to follow it to the tee, you can look forward to achieving 30 to 45 minutes of clarity through yogic sleep. 

In this article:

• How to Sleep 8 Hours in 4 Hours?
  
• How to Practice Polyphasic Sleeping?
  
• What Is the Mechanism of Polyphasic Sleep?
  
• Is It Good to Compress the Sleep?
  
• Should You Really Try to Squeeze in 8 Hours of Sleep in 4?
  

The world is fast developing ¹. The things which someone has to take care of every day is increasing exponentially. Everyone complains of the lack of time and how they need more than a day to complete a day’s work. Some people believe that shortening the sleep duration is the only way they can accommodate their duties in a single day. Here’s how to sleep 8 hours in 4 hours.

In fact, researches have been done on sleep and its patterns from a long time. It is believed that Leonardo da Vinci was an exponent of sleep experiments. Urban legends say that he used to sleep very little and could work on a painting from dawn to dust without food or drink. Some historians argue that he had an effective sleeping method. He used to get enough rest with only a few hours of sleep.

How to Sleep 8 Hours in 4 Hours?

Sleep is a highly complex phenomenon. Even after decades of research, experts are not able to fully comprehend its significance. It would not be wise to meddle with a natural instinct that we do not fully understand.

Nevertheless, there are some who believe they have cracked the sleep pattern and can shorten the time they spend sleeping without much harm to their physical and mental health. Polyphasic or Biphasic methods are employed by them to achieve this.

Biphasic Sleep​

Bifurcated sleep or Biphasic sleep is the method of sleeping in two periods in a day. The followers of this method argue that humans are wired to sleep in two spells rather than one at night. They believe the after noon time is used by our ancestors to sleep. Hence, we feel lethargic and less productive at the time.

Biphasic sleepers sleep for a few hours; the exact number depends on the person; which effectively reduces the hours of sleep needed at night. The advantage of this method is that you don’t have to spend 8 hours every day sleeping. Most biphasic sleepers say they feel content with 4 to 5 hours of sleep every day.

Polyphasic Sleep

Like Biphasic sleep, polyphasic sleep is a method employed by some people to reduce their sleep timing. The difference from biphasic is that polyphasic method uses multiple spells of sleep rather than two.  This method is also known as Uberman’s Sleep schedule.

Normally, Uberman’s sleep schedule aims at gaining more waking hours by sleeping in 6 spells distributed throughout the day. The total sleep time then comes to around 3 to 4 hours, unlike a normal sleep which is 8 hours long. The idea was launched around the year 2000 and it got worldwide attention. Many people tried and tested the method and testified to its good and bad effects in their daily life.

How to Practice Polyphasic Sleeping?

Before you try polyphasic sleeping make sure that you are medically fit to do it. Though researchers do not recommend any test prior to practicing this method, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Dr. Claudio Stampi is a sleep researcher who has dedicated his life to studying polyphasic sleep. He has done numerous research on competitive sailors, studied sleep in detail for NASA and experimented with polyphasic sleep in laboratory conditions. Using devices such as activity monitors and EEG machines, he has arrived at some conclusions and devised the best method to sleep.

Dr. Stampi has concluded that polyphasic sleep can improve the cognitive performance of individuals who undergo sleep deprivation better than monophasic sleep. But he does not recommend this method of sleeping to those who are able to enjoy a full night of uninterrupted sleep. His method is suited for who are sleep deprived and cannot afford to sleep much.

Stampi’s Sleep Method

Stampi advocates a sleeping method in which the person sleeps every 4 hours. Each spell of sleep should not exceed 30 minutes. So the person effectively sleeps 6 times a day for 30 minutes which adds up to a total of 3 hours of sleep daily. Stampi has found out that those who sleep like this remained more alert and performed better than those who slept for 3 hours straight.

What Is the Mechanism of Polyphasic Sleep?

Those who are in search of methods to get 8 hours of rest in 4, should try to understand the mechanics associated with the methods.

Those who follow the sleep method are like those who are sleep deprived. When they sleep they enter Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) more easily than others. They bypass or compress the less important stages for achieving this. The Rapid Eye Movement stage (REM) which constitutes 20-25% of normal sleep is found to be compressed through the sleep control methods.

But many experts claim that it is not the REM cycle but other unimportant stages of the sleep are the ones getting reduced which helps the sleeper to go directly into REM and SWS. This they say is the economical use of sleep which provides necessary rejuvenation to a person.

Though circadian rhythm and homeostatic drive are the two forces which control our sleep, there is no evidence that it is best to follow the rhythms for neural rest needed. Compressing the sleep into short segments may be advantageous to the physiological parameters. But there is not much scientific evidence apart from some personal anecdotes to prove this.

Is It Good to Compress the Sleep?

It is very difficult to say whether it is good or bad to practice compressed sleeping methods. There is not much evidence with those who oppose and support such methods to claim that their argument is right.

However, there are some famous people who employed these methods to maximize their productivity. Thomas Alva Edison was one of them. He believed the time spend sleeping is a waste and throughout his life, he tried to get around the ‘problem of sleep’. Though there are no historical data to prove that he was a polyphasic sleeper, his assistants remember him taking short naps in between his experiments. The nap cots that he used in the laboratory are still preserved in the Edison museums.

Apart from Edison, many prominent people like Winston Churchill, Napoleon, Nicola Tesla, Thomas Jefferson and so on have tried to sleep shortening methods. They each had their own methods which suited them. But as always, it is not advisable to follow the stunts performed by the experts.

Should You Really Try to Squeeze in 8 Hours of Sleep in 4?

It totally depends on you whether you choose to follow monophasic, biphasic or polyphasic methods. But many medical experts warn against such experiments which can possibly harm your health.

Having said that, if you are a person who suffers from sleep deprivation due to long hours of work, shift work or some other reason, you can opt for polyphasic sleep. It may be the best alternative available if you can absolutely not afford to sleep normally at night. You can actually squeeze out the maximum benefit of sleep by following Uberman’s method.

But if you are trying to sleep 8 hours in 4 just because you want to stay awake to invest more time in your business, it can do more harm than good. Nothing can get your optimum level of performance like a good night’s sleep. The long term effects of such methods are still debated. It is hence wise to follow your natural sleep pattern than adopting something that has not been proven as foolproof.

What achievement in the world can give you so much peace that getting a good sleep at night?   

It may be one of the most peaceful scenes in the world to watch a baby sleeping. With her little eyes closed, fingers all curled up, she sleeps as if there is nothing in the world to worry about. It may be the most satisfying sight of any parent

This heart-melting scene turns into one of panic when the baby wakes up and starts crying with all its might. Many mothers find it difficult to get the baby back to sleep once it wakes up. But there are certain strategies that can be adopted to get you howling toddler to a peaceful sleep.

Importance of Sleep for Babies

Sleep is an integral part of the physical and mental development of the baby. It is necessary to develop immunity and adjust to the environment. In fact, the waking hours are less important compared to the sleeping ones.

During the first 2 months, the baby may sleep from 14 to 17 hours a day. The sleep, unlike in adults who sleep continuously for 8 hours, will be in short spells. Each one may last for 3 to 4 hours.  Because they don’t know the difference between day and night, babies can sleep and wake up at any time. It may irritate some parents to find their baby playful at midnight when they feel absolutely drained out.

After reaching infancy, that is 4 to 11 months, she learns to sleep for at least 6 hours in a stretch. The sleep time reduces to 12 to 15 hours a day. But because they have achieved mobility at this time, parents find it hard to pin them down to the bed to make them sleep.

The sleep routines may change several times in the first year, which makes it difficult for parents to set a good time table. But it is necessary to accommodate these changes for the healthy development of the baby.

Tips to Get Your Baby to Sleep

Set a routine

You might be wondering if you will ever sleep again? It’s a common question to ask, especially as a new parent. Of course, it is possible. And you can do it with creating a schedule and a routine for your baby.

Babies have a tendency to sleep erratically. This makes them wide awake when you want them to sleep. So you should be careful to set a good routine which calms them down and soothes her into sleep. There are certain things you have to take care while setting a routine for them.

A set sleep schedule and a sleep routine for a baby can go a long way to helping them sleep on time.

Minimize Stimuli

It might be hard as a new parent to not play with your child all the time. To hear their angelic giggle, to see them smile as you take them on a laughter journey with you. However, playing with them may not be the best thing to do if you are trying to get them to sleep.

Take care not to get them excited before going to bed. Don’t let loud noises or bright lights disturb her prior to the bedtime. This can push their ‘go’ button and can make them active again.

Use Light Effectively

Your baby does not know the difference between day and night. But the darkness triggers the release of melatonin in the brain, which makes them sleep. 

If possible install a dimmer light in the baby room. It has been proven effective to dim the light at least 2 hours before bedtime. This gives their brain plenty of time to release the melatonin.

Take care not to turn the lights on immediately if they wakes up in the middle of the night. The immediate transition will trigger them awake. So it is better to soothe them back to sleep in the dark itself. You can use blinds to darken the room early in the morning to avoid disturbing their sleep.

No Games Before Bed

Your baby is continuously learning. With the toys they have, the people the meet and the environment around them, they are constantly taking in their surroundings and making sense of it in their minds. If you would want to put them to sleep, you need to stop their active brains and lead them to a restful state.

Avoid active games before bedtime. Plan her games in such a way that active games are reserved for the day and quieter ones towards evening. It will trigger her sleep if you can make each activity calm and peaceful towards the end of the day.

A Bath to Calm Her Down

Babies enjoy bathing. They loving playing in the water. Just like a warm bath helps adults fall asleep, it also helps babies sleep faster. Moving from a warm bath to a cool bedroom can create a drop in the body temperature, telling the brain that it is time to sleep.  

It also helps to calm them down before bedtime. A warm bath should become part of their sleep routine. So every evening when you take your baby in for a bath, they will automatically start feeling sleepy.

Set an Early Bedtime

It is better to get the baby to sleep when the sun goes down. The variation in natural lighting should be taken advantage of as it will trigger sleep. It is better to get the baby to sleep by 7 PM. Make sure to stick to this time every day, making it a routine.

You can use a bedtime calculator to calculate the number of hours a baby needs to sleep based on their age. This can give you an idea of creating a schedule that works for you baby and their health. 

Put Him to Bed When Drowsy

Most mothers make the mistake of putting the baby to bed after he has slept off in their arms. This can affect his sleep as he grows up because he will find it difficult to go to sleep without someone carrying him around. Experts say that it is better to put the baby down just before he nods off. This teaches him to soothe himself to sleep without his mother to care for him.

This method is also helpful to teach him to go back to sleep after waking up at night without someone around to cuddle him. 

Do Not Disturb the Baby’s Sleep

Some parents have the habit of disturbing the sleep of their baby by trying to make them more comfortable. Changing the diaper or moving her unnecessarily can affect the sleep quality and make her more irritated. Experts in the field are against this.

They recommend that you leave the diaper on if the baby is sleepy. They are of the opinion that if it is not so soiled much, the baby will not be in discomfort and so it is better to relax the diaper change routine a bit to facilitate sleep.

Ferber Method

A method developed by experts prompts the mother to let the baby cry-it-out. The method known as “Progressive Watching” aims at teaching the baby to sleep on her own and to go back to sleep if she wakes up. Dr. Richard Ferber, the person who developed this method says that it can be effectively applied to babies at least 5 months old. The method is explained below.

• Put your baby to bed before she is completely asleep but drowsy and leave the room.
• Try to soothe her to sleep after waiting for a minute or so if she starts crying, but do not pick her up. Leave the room in 2-3 minutes. The baby registers your presence and will be able to calm herself down.
• If she continues crying, gradually increase your response time. That is, wait for 2 minutes before soothing her the first time, 5 minutes the second time and 10 minutes the third time.
• On the next night increase the waiting time more until your baby learns to go to sleep on her own.

Within a week, you will see improvements in her sleep pattern if you adopt this method.

Have you experienced that feeling of opening a book and falling asleep almost immediately? This happens particularly to students who are studying for an upcoming examination. It gets very irritating at the time and those who are trying to pass the exam constantly try for ways to overcome the lethargy.

Really is there any way to avoid sleep while studying? Well, there is. But before getting into it, we should know a few things about sleep and its importance in a person’s well being.

Significance of Sleep

Sleep is a very important factor for all animals. It is very difficult to survive without sleep for long. A good sleep pattern is necessary for physical and mental faculties to work in their optimum capacity. It is really as essential for survival as food and water. Sleep plays a housekeeping job by washing out all the toxin accumulated in the brain. It improves neural communication and thus rejuvenates their activities.

Sleep also plays an important role in your health. While more sleep will not improve the immunity, less sleep is sure to make a dent in the armor. Those who are deprived of sleep are found to be sick more often and are susceptible to flu and other epidemics. It also increases the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, variation in blood pressure and metabolic activities.

Scientists believe that it is our sleep which cements our memories and forms new neural pathways in the brain. So sleep time is as important as study time as what you have learned is revised and etched in your memory during these hours. Skipping sleep to put in more hours of sleep can hence have a detrimental effect on your exams.

How to Avoid Sleep While Studying?

Nevertheless, there will be situations where you have to compromise on sleep. In such occasions, there are certain tips that can get you through the situation. They are listed below.

Develop Interest in the Topic​

This is the first and foremost thing to do to keep the sleep at bay.  Even after a good night’s sleep, if you feel sleepy when you start studying it is your mind playing tricks on you. Our mind tries to avoid boring things. If you are interested in something, it is easy to concentrate on it. There are many ways to create interest like listening to experts, watching videos on the topic and having a strong will to excel in the exams and so on. If you can keep your mind engaged, you will not feel sleepy.

Take Some Deep Breaths​

Our brain needs oxygen to function. When you are trying to learn, your brain works more and needs more oxygen to perform well. This is why you yawn when you try to concentrate on something. It lets in more oxygen to your lungs and thus more oxygen to your brain.

If the brain is deprived of oxygen, it becomes fatigued easily and you feel sleepy. So remember to take deep breaths at regular intervals to avoid drowsiness.

Light and Air ​

The room that you choose to study should have sufficient lighting and airflow. If the room is dimly lit, the light receptors in the brain send the signal and the brain thinks it is time to sleep. In the same way, if the room does not have enough oxygen, the brain will feel lethargic. So your room should facilitate natural lighting and airflow to make your brain perform at its optimum level.

Drink Lots of Water​

It is difficult to concentrate when you are dehydrated. Make sure to drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water every day. It would also help if you have a bottle of water at your hand’s reach. This will help you to remain alert while studying. Also, a full bladder would require you to take a hike to the bathroom thus making you move more. This also helps to avoid sleep.

Don’t Get Too Comfortable​

Some students use reclining chairs or even their bed to sit or lay down while studying. This invites sleep. The body posture is very important to keep sleep at bay. It is best to adopt a sitting position where you keep your spine erect. This also helps to breathe better thus providing enough oxygen to the brain.

Go for a Walk

When you study for hours in the same position, lactic acid gets stagnant in the cell due to the lack of movement. Lactic acid has the property of absorbing oxygen in the blood, thus depriving the brain of it. This will make you drowsy. The best solution for this is to go for a walk for 5 minutes every hour. This gives you enough movement which helps the blood circulation and fresh air which improves oxygen content in the blood.

Avoid Heavy Meals Before Studying​

When you consume heavy food, your body takes time to break down the food to energy. It requires concentration of blood circulation to the stomach. This affects the performance of the brain and you feel sleepy. Hence it is difficult to concentrate on your book while digesting. It is better to take heavy meals when you are going to take a rest and to have light ones before studying.

Read Out Loud

Many students are used to studying by reading silently. But this can sometimes become monotonous and can make you feel drowsy. If you feel sleepy it is a good strategy to try to read the text out loud. This can help you to avoid sleep while studying. But take care not to overdo it as reading everything out loud makes the learning process slow and can make you tired easily.

Take Notes

Taking notes of whatever you have understood is a very good way to recollect what you have studied. It also drives the sleep away as writing activates different parts of the brain. So start taking notes the moment you start feeling drowsy.

Do Light Exercise Everyday

Long study holidays can make you obese and affect your health. Do light exercise for at least 20 minutes every day. This will help to burn the carbohydrates and helps blood circulation. Sweating at least once every day can improve the energy level and will indeed help to focus more.

Try to Study Easy Topics at Night

You cannot concentrate much during the night. So it is better to study easy topics which do not demand much of your attention at night. You can keep the tougher ones to morning time when you have a sharper focus.

Get a Siesta

If possible, take a nap in the afternoon. It has been proven that a short nap after lunch can refresh you and make the learning process faster. However, sleeping for long is not good. It is better to limit your siesta to 40 minutes.

Sleep

If nothing works and you are genuinely tired, it is better to sleep. Taxing your body without giving it enough sleep can adversely affect your health and learning capability. So make sure you get enough sleep.

You can be the most energetic salesman in an auto shop or the most participative student in a lecture, and you could still feel tired in the middle of the day. Stress and drowsiness don’t discriminate. Feeling tired in the middle of your day isn’t only common. It’s normal, too. As human beings, we’re all bound to drain ourselves in one way or another. We have compiled a list of nine best practices so you know how to avoid sleep during the day. But like most of everything in life, there are many things we can do to counter feeling exhausted midday. This list will tell you exactly how to avoid sleep when you’re not supposed to just yet.

Here Are the 9 Best Practices to Avoid Sleep During the Day

Stick to a Bedtime

There’s a reason why parents make an effort in letting their children stick to a deadline. Because they understand that a child’s body is growing and that it functions best when it’s pace is respected, moms and dads are extra cautious when it comes religiously following a routine. But why have grown-ups seem to have forgotten that? 

Waking up and sleeping at very specific times of the day make it easier for anyone to live active lifestyles and avoid the likelihood of getting a sleep disorder. Sleep deprivation can affect not only your body, but even your mind.

Make Time for Exercise

In order for the body to operate as smoothly and efficiently as possible, it has to be healthy; and being healthy calls for two things: diet and exercise. Once your body is more used to movement, it becomes a lot more energized and flexible. Falling asleep and sleeping soundly also become much more attainable if you’re never just idle or comfortably seated in one place all the time.

Not only do you become stronger and better able to physically take on the day, you’re also kept sharp on your feet. Exercising helps the brain, too! A busy folk? At least 30 minutes a day of high-intensity workouts is enough to power you through.

Drink Water

When people say water is life, they’re not just talking about birth and procreation. Being fully awake is one big benefit one gets from regularly drinking water. Sleeping on the job could mean losing your career.

So if you’re drowsy and not in the mood to work, drink lots of water. If you feel like it’s just not cutting it for you, try squeezing in fresh fruit. Perhaps, an orange? Maybe even a lemon?

Music Is Your Best Friend

If you’re one to feel sleepy at work all the time, listen to music. If it still doesn’t work, improve your playlist. The louder and more engaging your music is, the more amped anyone becomes. If you’re not allowed to play music out loud, earphones will do the trick. Being exposed to high-intensity music can help energize even the most humdrum person in the room. If it’s not that obvious just yet, avoid slow music when you’re sleepy.

If it helps, play your favorite karaoke tunes. While you may not actually sing out loud, the brain is woken up when it hears a song it likes to sing to. So feel free to sing in your head!

​Coffee Is Key

If a nutritious banana or a minty candy won’t help you, coffee will. Although it does have a variable of effects to different people, caffeine is one that’s more likely to help you stay awake. It doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold, being exposed to even the slightest hint of coffee is bound to wake you up in more ways than one. Just don’t forget to not overdo it.

Respect your diet and avoid too much sugary cups of coffee. Your main goal is to fight excessive sleepiness. Not give in to a craving.

Eating a Healthy Breakfast

Eating a healthy breakfast helps catapult your day from good to great. When you’re mostly full in the morning, you’re less likely to crave and eat more at lunch. That being the case, wanting to take a nap isn’t as strong anymore as you stay away from overeating. Diversify your first meal of the day. From proteins to the right amount of carbs, make sure you’re consuming a well-rounded meal.

While work lunches are usually just an hour, plenty of people tend to overeat to compensate for stress. Instead of feasting on a spread of food, try breathing exercises.

Don’t Take Naps After 3 PM

The best time to take a nap is usually around 1 PM to 2 PM. It’s generally understood that, by this time, you’ve already achieved quite a lot from your to-do list. Post-lunch drowsiness is a real thing, too, so don’t beat yourself up. Still, for best results, avoid napping at 3 PM onwards.

When you finally do decide to take a short nap, keep it between 10 to 30 minutes only. Anything beyond that will feel like an insufficient evening rest.

See a Sleep Doctor

There really is no substitute for seeking the advice of medical experts. Many times, sleep loss and sleep deprivation are side effects to even larger problems. Whether anxiety or another similar medical condition, plenty of factors can contribute to us not being able to sleep right away at night. For very obvious reasons, this affects how we work in the morning. And once work is affected, it’s likely for everything else to be, too.

There is absolutely no shame in needing to see a doctor, so do that if you must.

Meditation

Meditation helps you clear your mind. A lot of times, people turn to sleep because they’re overwhelmed. Some see naps as a short escape to the heartaches adulthood brings. Making the time to meditate midday makes you a faster, more objective thinker. Amidst a busy day, it also reminds you to be thankful. So choose to listen to the quiet. When you’re in your office, try sneaking in 3-minute breathing exercises in the toilet or in your car.

You’ll feel a lot more excited and fundamentally even more ready to get things done once your head is free from troubles.

Ancient practices of governing energy have now become a way of life in the West. In India, these practices have always been bound in the way we live. However, with the acceptance of these practices in the West, they begin to rise in popularity in India too. One such practice is the Chinese principles of Feng Shui. Though there are differences from the Indian practices of Vastu, the idea and intention remain the same.

What Is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice of spatial arrangement. It is not only about filling your home with positive energy but also about connecting to your home. The prominent use of Feng Shui is to provide good fortune, energy and harmonize your home. It is also said to help in finding love, enhance fertility and improve your health.

The idea of Feng Shui is to let the energy flow freely in your home. These principles help retain the positive energy and let the negative energy out.

We have compiled some expert tips to add the principles of Feng Shui into your bedroom.

Clear the Clutter

One of the most important acts in incorporating Feng Shui in your bedroom is to clear the clutter. Often, in our busy, chaotic lives, our homes begin to pile up on clutter that seems to go out of our control. One such place is our bedroom. It could be your clothes lying around, tchotchkes that you found interesting or even vessels under the bed. Our bedroom is where we spend the majority of the time while at home. The chaos of clutter can begin to manifest itself in our minds and welcomes in negative energy. The first step is to clear the clutter.

“The way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t.”

While it is easy to get swept up in the idea of decluttering your bedroom, think of this as a long-term exercise. To avoid cluttering in the future, assign a place for everything in the room. Dirty clothes go into the hamper, the bag you use every day on a hook ready to go, the umbrella in its rack and so on. Only when there’s no assigned place for everything in your home, starts the cluttering.

Ensure you let the light in

In our cramped city lives, we can often find ourselves in dingy dark spaces that don’t provide the light we seek. Keep the windows open and let the natural light in. Light and air are important Feng Shui elements. Of course, this doesn’t take into consideration the city life we found ourselves in. In case you don’t want to leave the windows open, spread open the curtains to let the light in. You can also use air purifying plants to ensure you breathe in the fresh air. Some examples of air purifying plants in India are Spider plant, Bamboo palms, and Aloe Vera.

In fact, the lack of natural light can impact your health. There is a study conducted by Dr. John Ott, a pioneer light researcher where he assigned the term Malillumination as the negative effects of fluorescent light and the lack of sunlight on human behaviour.

Identify the symbolism

Our problems often manifest themselves in the way we treat our home. We can find our problems appearing in different ways around the house. For example, if we lack clarity in life, our home could be full of clutter. If we have low self-esteem, it could mean our mirrors are too high up. These kinds of symbolism can be observed when we have been able to zero in on problems bothering us.

“Are you chronically single? Assess if you’re loading up your home with single imagery—a single vase, a single chair, a single person in a picture.”

Once you begin to see patterns in your life and around the house, it can help you identify aspects of yourself that you didn’t know. To do this exercise, you can close your eyes and try to find areas in your life that you are unnaturally hard on yourself about.

Aromas

It has long been known that aromas play an important role in different aspects of our lives. Using natural scents like lavender flowers or mint can help create natural scents in your home. Essential oils are also a powerful element in bringing good Feng Shui energy in your home. The scent of sage can increase the feelings of security, the scent of jasmine can put you in a romantic mood, grapefruit scene can improve your memory and so on. These aromas can be found in candles, essential oils, air fresheners and so on.

You should regularly wash your sheets and pillow covers. Dirty bedding can make you sick, feel terrible and usher in the negative feelings. Keep your bedroom clean and always smelling fresh.

Bed Positioning

When it comes to bed positioning there are various rules you must follow. You should always have a solid wall behind your bed. Your head and feet must point to two solid walls and never a window. Your bed should also not be on the same wall as your bedroom and bathroom door. Having your headboard on a solid wall will also negate the possibility of open shelves behind your bed. It is important not to have open shelves behind your headboard. You should also ensure that there are no mirrors facing the bed. This is a very important Feng Shui taboo in the bedroom.

Colors

Colors are known to have an effect on our mind and body. Therefore, Feng Shui principles recommend using warm colors in the bedroom that are both welcoming and calming. Bright colors can agitate your mind and prevent you from creating a calm environment. Calming colors like lavender, light blues and green can create a soothing environment. Warm colors like peach, cream and tan can create a welcoming environment in your bedroom. These colors also help you sleep better at night, helps you relax after a stressful day and wake up smiling and refreshed.

Mirrors

Mirrors are an important element as it represents water. It is important to have at least one full-length mirror in the home. Usually, with shorter mirrors, we see cut off version of ourselves. This can hamper our self-esteem and heighten our insecurities. Another important Feng Shui taboo is the use of mirrors that reflect off each other. Ideally, mirrors reflecting the bed and other mirrors are a big no-no.

We are at our most vulnerable and open while we sleep, because we cannot control our body while we’re asleep. Our sleeping position has a lot to say about our personality and our relationship.

Corrine Sweet, a relationship psychologist, says that couple’s sleeping positions say something about their relationship. Do you cuddle? Where on the mattress do you sleep? Are you entwined with each other? Do your legs touch? Do you face each other? Yes, each of these has a certain significance, and points to certain aspects of your relationship.

Read on to know what your sleeping position tells about you and your partner.

Couple Sleeping Positions and What They Mean:

The Spoon

The Spoon is a classic sleeping position, and many couples sleep this way. Body language specialist Patti Wood calls this a vulnerable and sensual position that speaks of trust. This traditional position indicates the protectiveness of the spooning partner in the relationship. It also shows how comfortable the couple is with intimacy. It is a fairly sexual position and improves intimacy between couples. Couples in the earlier stages of their relationship are most found to be sleeping in this position. It gives maximum physicalproximity,and is also intimate.

The Loose Spoon

A variation to the classic Spoon, this is also indicative of progression from the initial years of a relationship to a comfortable one. This indicates that the couple is at a place where they trust each other. While they love their intimacy, they also allow each other room. So they give each other the space they need, get comfortable and are still connected by perhaps lightly touching a body part. 

The Chase

The Chase looks very similar to the Spoon, except that in this position, the couple is usually found at the edge of the bed. This means that one partner has moved away from the center, and the other one has ‘chased’ them to continue spooning. When this happens, the one moving away might be silently needing a little space and so made the move. Hence, this kind of spooning is also termed as ‘illegal spooning’. However, it could also mean that the one moving away wants to be pursued and is actually issuing an invitation for pursuit. 

The Back Kisser

You may be surprised to know that sleeping with their backs to each other is also a highly popular position among couples. Rather than indicating lesser intimacy, if the couple sleeps with their backs or behinds touching, this also shows high levels of comfort and intimacy, as well as confidence in each other. While the relationship is still new, but when they have reached a level of trust and assuredness, at the same time want to retain the thrill of intimate body contact is when most couples are found to adopt this position. 

The Unravelling Knot

Another popular position amongst couples who have been together for a while is the Unravelling Knot position. The couple starts off the night with arms and legs entwined with each other, and then progresses towards an unravelling. This is how they strike a balance between intimacy and giving each other the space they need. Moving apart gives the couple the independence to enjoy a good sleep and also implies trust in each other to do what they please. According to Dr. Sweet, it’s ‘a compromise between intimacy and independence’, and hints at a strong and healthy relationship.

The Space Hog

The Space Hog is one where one partner usually takes up most of the space, often lying in a spreadeagled pose, leaving the other partner very little space on the bed. This is one sure sign that all may not be well in paradise. It can mean that one taking up most space is selfish and inconsiderate towards their partner’s needs. If one sleeps closer to the headboard, it also indicates their dominance in the relationship. If either of both of these is the case, it is probably high time the couple had a heart-to-heart talk to discuss their relationship. Sooner the better.

The Nuzzle

A sure indication of the honeymoon phase of a relationship is when the couple sleeps in the sweet cuddly position called the Nuzzle. In this, one partner lies on their back with the other’s head resting on their chest. This shows independence and the protectiveness of the former, and their love and appreciation of their significant other, and their wish to cherish them. At the same time, it shows the ultimate trust and comfort level of the latter. Such open and firm show of love and affection and need for intimacy is most common among new couples, or those who have rekindled their relationship, and may be termed as the most telling position of all. 

The Tangle

Arms and legs intertwined with each other, holding on tight, may seem sweet. However, it is sweet only if it is just after lovemaking. When new couples sleep in a Tangle, it shows that they are besotted with each other. It also indicates an active sex life. But if a couple continues to sleep this way well into the relationship, it is not a great thing. It could mean that they are overly dependent on each other and cannot sleep apart. The need to hold on to the partner means the couple lacks independence. This could be the beginning of several problems, including a basic one of not getting a comfortable sleep.

The Face-Off With No Touch

When there isn’t enough communication and fondness between a couple, they tend to sleep facing each other, but without touching. It shows that they are not emotionally available to each other. It also indicates that they want to reach out to each other but are unable to do so. Consciously trying to get more intimate and having more open conversations may improve the situation and bring the couple on a better footing.

The Leg Hug

The most ambiguous of the sleeping positions is the Leg Hug. If only one person is doing the leg hug, it might mean that they are yearning for attention and intimacy. If both partners’ legs are entwined, it means they have a strong bond and great fondness for each other. Such couples also enjoy a deep friendship. Yet another take on this position is that they maintain such a nonchalant pose because of a hesitation to show intimacy after a misunderstanding, but are also to reach out and clear the air. 

The Liberty Lovers

What truly indicates the ultimate trust and comfort levels between couples, is the Liberty Lovers position. In this, they sleep back-to-back, but without touching. While this may be surprising to know, not facing each other does not mean lack of affection or care at all. Quite on the contrary, it shows the high levels of confidence and trust in each other, and themselves as a couple. It shows they are close enough to give each other all the space they need and that each other’s comfort and need for space is of equal importance to the partners. A whopping majority of couples sleep this way.

If you are a light sleeper you know the value of a good night’s sleep. You cannot explain the struggle that you go through every night to the unsympathetic heavy sleepers around you who can sleep through a disastrous earthquake. The sound of water dripping in the kitchen, the dog barking in the next street or even your roommate snoring across the hall can all mean one thing to you: a sleepless night.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end in there. Waking up in the morning you feel low and exhausted. The high caffeine coffee that you keep in the cupboard especially for such days got finished in a week and can give only 2 hours of energy; 3 if you are really lucky. You can’t help but be jealous of those in your office appearing fresh in the morning after a good rest. If you are such a person you are not alone.

What Causes You to Be a Light Sleeper?

Researchers could not yet put a finger on the reason why some people lose sleep over small disturbances while others can sleep through a wailing siren.  But they have found that there are some factors that can make a person light sleeper. They are:

Genetics

Sleep irregularities are found to pass down to generations. So genetics is a crucial factor that influences the sleeping pattern of a person.

The Sleeping Disorder

A light sleeper may be a person with a sleeping disorder. Insomnia, sleep apnoea, Restless Leg syndrome and so on can disturb a person’s sleep.

Poor Sleep Hygiene

Sleep can be affected if a person has poor sleep hygiene. Going to bed late, watching TV or using a laptop or mobile phone in the bed, overly lit room and so forth can result in light sleep.

Light sleeping vs. Heavy Sleeping

Studies prove that the difference between a light sleeper and a heavy sleeper is the time each spends on deep sleep of the sleep cycle. To understand this better we have to have a rough idea about the different stages in the sleep cycle. The two major stages a person goes through while sleeping are:

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Stage

You enter REM state typically 90 minutes after you start sleeping. It is believed that we dream during this state. REM sleep is characterized by many symptoms like rapid eye movement from side to side, increase in heart rate and breathing rate and elevated blood pressure. Sleep researchers believe that REM sleep occurs in the same way in both light and heavy sleepers.

Non-REM (NREM) Sleep

The Non- Rapid Eye Movement stage is subdivided into three stages where the body functions like breathing, heartbeat, etc become progressively slow to induce deep sleep. You spend almost 75% of your sleep time at NREM stage. Sleep researchers have come to the conclusion that light sleepers face problem maintaining NREM stage and so they wake up intermittently.

What Can a Light Sleeper Do?

Some people resort to medication to get sound sleep. Though in some cases it may be necessary, you can do some simple things that can give you better quality sleep.

Keep your bedroom suitable for sleeping

First, preference should be given to making yourself comfortable in the bed. Make sure that the room is dark and quiet. You can use some white noise like soothing music, the sound of the gently falling rain from Youtube or even a fan to drown the disturbing ones. With a white noise machine, all the sounds congregate into a static that will help you relax.

The temperature of your room should be a cool one. Too cold or too warm can keep you from relaxing. 

The use of blackout curtains to create a dark, cool environment also helps you fall asleep faster. 

Relaxation techniques for sleep

People with anxiety are more prone to light sleeping. If you are someone who brings your office stress to your bed, you have to try and avoid it. This may seem easier said than done but in all honesty, it isn’t too hard to accomplish.

Learn some relaxation technique to calm your nerves before going to bed. Some breathing techniques, soothing music, aromatic oils and so on can often help you fall asleep early. Always make sure that you go to the bed with a clear head.

Meditation is one of the easiest ways to clear your thoughts and relax. You can follow guided meditation videos or podcasts till you are able to reach a place of enlightenment where you can do it yourself.

Avoid all distractions

You are trying to get some sleep and you are almost there. Suddenly your phone chimes, and even if you prefer not to check the notification you cannot help but think about it.

Such distractions should be avoided if you are trying for a good sleep. Keep your laptop, TV and mobile phone in the other room.

Social media, work stress and even that ex-boyfriend’s pending friend request can keep you up at night. Losing sleep isn’t going to affect anyone else but you. To best avoid distractions, keep the temptations out of your room

Avoid morning naps

If you are light sleeper, avoid siestas. It can help you sleep better at night. Naps are great when you want to catch up on sleep but with everything, there is a time and a place.

Naps that are closer to your bedtime and longer than 45 minutes can affect your regular sleeping schedule. A short, afternoon nap that lasts about 20 minutes can fill you up with energy.

While power naps are great, anything longer can affect the way you sleep at night. There is also the right time to nap. The best time for your afternoon siesta is between 2 PM to 3PM. Any later, you are compromising your body’s ability to sleep at night. 

Do regular exercises

Stick to a regular exercise routine, preferably in the morning as evening exertions can affect your sleep. Any type of physical activity can help you remain fit and tire your body out.

It also increases your body temperature and the post-exercise drop in temperature can help you feel sleepy. However, late-night exercises can keep your brain active and in turn, leads to restlessness.

Though that empty gym might seem tempting, keep your workouts to the day time. 

Avoid large meals before going to bed

Many people skip breakfast and take a sandwich for lunch hoping to fill themselves up with a large meal at dinner. But unfortunately, this can affect your sleep. Better to eat lightly before going to bed.

Early supper times are often not followed and can adversely not only impact sleep but also your health. Eating late at night can increase the levels of glucose and insulin, increasing the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

While you fill up on those carbs, you are asking your body to stay up digesting your food rather than sleep. Also, it is best to avoid spicy foods at night as it can cause heart burn. 

Avoid stimulants

Nicotine, caffeine and some medications can keep you awake at night. Consumption of alcohol can also create disturbed sleep. It is often very important to note what goes into our bodies and how that affects the way it functions.

High levels of caffeine and sugar found in beverages can keep one up and night. At the same time, food that are high in carbs can trigger the digestive system, keeping your brain awake.

Follow a bedtime routine

​Make sure to go to your bed at the same time every day. Create a half an hour routine that helps you to sleep.

Read a book or listen to music, do relaxation breathing and bladder checks. Such routines can prepare you for bed and will get you to deep sleep easily.

Creating a sleep ritual is a personal decision. It contains a list of activities that help you relax. Be it a warm cup of lavender tea, the scent of jasmine or a warm shower, sleep rituals can help you fall asleep faster.