While you might think fatigue is just a normal part of a hectic work and personal life, the long-term consequences are more than bags under your eyes.
Prolonged lack of sleep, says James MacFarlane, director of education and clinical consultant at Toronto-based MedSleep, can make you inattentive at work and can lead to such diseases as obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
Yet busy or stressful times at work can make it difficult to relax and get a full night’s sleep. Follow these tips to help you sleep as soundly as Rip Van Winkle:
> Give yourself time
Make sure you are allowing enough hours for a good night’s sleep.
Most people need between six and a half to eight hours of sleep per night, MacFarlane says. To get the right amount of shut-eye, you first need to make sure that you’re in bed for that length of time.
If you spend enough time in bed but still can’t sleep, he says, that may be a sign of a sleep disorder.
> Relax a little
Before heading to bed for the night, take some time to wind down.
During stressful, busy times, MacFarlane says, we sometimes work right up until it’s time to turn off the lights, lock the doors and go to bed. That’s not a good idea.
Instead, he says, spend an hour relaxing before “lights out.” Watch TV, read a book or do other quiet activities unrelated to work.
Of course, when a deadlines loom, you may need to be flexible. Sometimes it might put your mind at ease to stay up a little later to complete a project, he says. Otherwise, worrying about the task might keep you up all night.
> Get organized
Make a list and plan ahead to avoid waking up in a panic in the middle of the night.
We tend to worry about very specific things, usually related to work, at three in the morning, MacFarlane says. That is a really ineffective time to deal with anything.
Before heading to bed for the night, go through all those work-related issues that typically wake you up at night, he says. Then create a rough plan for handling each one.
> Limit caffeinated and alcoholic drinks
Pay attention to what you’re drinking throughout the day – it may be keeping you up at night.
Caffeine has a “half life” of about six hours, MacFarlane says, so it’s important to have your last cup of coffee or tea long before your bedtime.
That second glass of wine may make you feel more relaxed, he says. But if wine is not something you usually drink in the evenings, it could cause you to lose sleep.
“If you have more [alcohol] than you usually have,” he says, “you’ll get a ‘rebound’ effect, which will make you feel anxious when you wake up in the middle of the night.”
> Don’t fight it
When you do find yourself staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m., don’t stress out.
While sleep is important, MacFarlane says, worrying that you’re not getting enough of it will not help you catch those 40 winks.
Instead, if you wake up and feel you can’t fall back asleep, get out of bed and do something else, such as watching TV, until you feel drowsy. Do not get up and start doing work for the office.