Everybody needs sleep. You can function without sleep for a while, but eventually, your body shuts down. You can’t drive well without it, and you can’t think clearly, either. You might even start hallucinating with no sleep for days.
Let’s talk about good sleep habits that can help you. Prioritize sleep, and you’ll start to see some significant life improvements.
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Is Missing Sleep that Bad?
The AAA Foundation did a study. They determined that missing two or three sleep hours per night makes car crashes more likely. In fact, missing sleep can quadruple your crash risk if you consistently miss two or three nightly hours.
That stat might sober you if you think missing sleep doesn’t matter. It’s proof that getting adequate sleep helps concentration and motor skills, both of which drivers need.
Have a Regular Bedtime
Setting a regular bedtime and sticking with it can help you sleep. You might head to bed at nine or ten o’clock on weeknights when you have to work the next day.
You might stay up late every once in a while if there’s a ballgame you want to watch or something similar, but for the most part, stick to the routine. Your body knows to shut down at that time if you keep that schedule for weeks and months on end.
Don’t Sleep for Too Long
You might sleep in on the weekends if you don’t have work the next day but sleep in a couple of extra hours. Don’t sleep till noon unless you’re completely exhausted and feel you need it.
Sleeping in a little is fine, but if you sleep in for hours, that’s probably counterproductive. You will throw your body’s sleep schedule out of whack. It’s better to get a couple of extra hours and then force yourself out of bed.
Exercise Regularly
You can also exercise regularly if you want to sleep at the same time every night and stay asleep for several hours. If you exercise more, you can stay fit. You will seem more attractive to your spouse, partner, or any romantic interest who catches your eye. You also make your body crave sleep since you’ll need it to replenish the energy you utilize.
You might get a gym membership or set up a fitness room in your house. With this second option, you might get a treadmill or exercise bike. You can get some free weights, resistance bands, or a yoga mat.
If you exercise several times each week, you’ll likely sleep better. You should see this difference very quickly if you exercise strenuously three-four days each week.
Limit Your Caffeine Intake
You can limit how much caffeine you ingest. That should also help you sleep deeper and longer. You might crave coffee in the morning when you wake up. Maybe you like caffeinated tea instead.
You might then require a mid-morning coffee break. You may want caffeine in the midafternoon as well. You should not indulge past midafternoon if you want to sleep better at night. Less caffeine and not drinking it later in the day should let you sleep when you’re ready each evening.
Try cutting caffeine to one cup per day in the morning. If you can’t get to that point, try two cups, but don’t have the second one later than midafternoon.
Limit Your Alcohol Intake
You might feel like alcohol helps you sleep. In reality, it’s the opposite. Studies indicate alcohol disrupts sleep cycles. You might drink until you pass out, but that’s a bad habit as well. Besides, you can’t very well do that every night. That’s alcoholism, and you need to avoid it.
On days or nights that you drink, don’t drink to excess. Limit your alcohol intake, and you’ll surely sleep better. You won’t wake up as much during the night, and you won’t have a hangover when you awaken the next morning.
Think about these tips as you go through life. If you change your behavior, you can usually change your sleep patterns.
You can also learn to go to bed without turning off the TV directly before. Studies show watching TV right before bed harms your sleep cycle. You can avoid scrolling on your phone before sleeping as well. That should help you get to sleep faster.
Since sleep is so crucial, you should try changing your routine without delay. Once you’re sleeping better, you should see some significant life quality improvement almost immediately.
