Table of contents:
- What is the sleep cycle?
- What if we don't have enough time to sleep?
- 1. Make sure you reach the stagedeep sleep
- 2. Target sleep cycles, not sleep duration
- 3. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time
- 4. Don't differentiate between weekends
- 5. Avoid the "snooze" button
- 6. Take the time to sleep if necessary
Wake up but still feel tired. Are you in that trouble? If so, you may not be alone, because this problem is a common problem in a person's productive age. However, this problem can be easily overcome
Sleep is not just about quantity, quality also matters a lot. You can get freshness, fitness, and a fit state of mind with the right quality and quantity of sleep. Often times we feel that we don't have enough time to sleep, so we need some treatment certain for us to improve the quality of our sleep.
Health expert Nick Littlehales, who also works for Manchester United football club, says that sleep quality is more important than quantity. An important factor in regulating sleep quality is the sleep cycle (sleep cycle).
What is the sleep cycle?
Basically when we sleep, we will go through several levels of sleep. First, is light sleep (light sleep), the second is deep sleep (deep sleep), and the third stage is Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. In every time you sleep, you will go through these sleep phases.
- Light sleep: The position where you just fell asleep.
- Deep sleep:The position where you are fast asleep, this is the phase where you cannot possibly dream.
- REM sleep: A position where you are not sound asleep, when you see rapid and irregular eye movements in your eyes. It is in this phase that dreams usually occur.
In sleep, the normal time you spend in one sleep cycle is 90 minutes. Littlehales said that in 24 hours, we need at least five (5) sleep cycles aka 7.5 hours.
What if we don't have enough time to sleep?
If your busy life limits your sleep time, this is Littlehales' secret in making sure you sleep well and you won't wake up tired or sleepy.
1. Make sure you reach the stagedeep sleep
No matter how narrow your sleep time, at least you have to go through one sleep cycle (sleep cycle). So, at least you go through one phase deep sleep because it is important for physical and mental health. Then, you also need at least one stage REM sleep, because it is useful for memory recovery.
Littlehales says that although it sounds easy, this stage is often missed by people. Many people sleep seven to eight hours but don't make it to the point deep sleep. So, they wake up still tired.
This often occurs in women. Women worry more than men. Women are also more easily distracted by small noises at night. Many things can interfere with sleep, such as stress, your partner's snoring, room temperature and so on. They can stop us on our way deep sleep.
To avoid this, Littlehales has several tips such as the following:
- Take a 90-minute sleep preparation period
- turn off the lights
- Keep away gadget from your sleep zone
- Read, meditate, or take a warm bath before bed
- Remove the water, clean all the things that are stuck in your stomach
2. Target sleep cycles, not sleep duration
Plan your bedtime in terms of how many cycles you need, not hours. For example, you have to wake up at 6.30 in the morning, if you need 5 cycles totaling 7.5 hours, sleep then you must be asleep by 11 at night.
3. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time
Not everyone has the same nighttime sleep and activity time during the day. However, whenever possible, schedule bedtime and wake up at the same time each day. Also take into account the amount of time before and after going to bed, such as commuting from work and the time you relax after waking up.
4. Don't differentiate between weekends
Many people want to sleep longer on the weekends. However, you should not do it. The rules for sleeping and waking up at the same time must also be applied throughout weekend. If you suddenly change it, it will interfere with your body's metabolism.
5. Avoid the "snooze" button
If you are used to sleeping regularly, your body will get used to it. Before you wake up, your body will become lighter, warmer, and the hormone cortisol will be released, giving you the strength to move. When the alarm goes off and you wake up, don't press the button "snooze"Which leads you to delay getting up and going to sleep again. This will lead you to deeper sleep, and upon awakening your brain and body will tend to be out of sync.
6. Take the time to sleep if necessary
You will be in a condition where your day is more tired than usual. In such conditions, stealing short sleeps is good for your body. For example, try getting 30 minutes of sleep between activities, so that you will wake up refreshed. But remember, don't take a nap for more than 30 minutes because you may be at the stage by then deep sleep and when you wake up you will feel even more sleepy than before.