It is common to hear that we must sleep 8 hours a day to be more rested and start our morning with energy and vitality, but this is not totally true: our body does not exclusively need 8 hours of sleep to be able to rest. In addition, in today’s hectic society, plus the responsibilities we have with work, home and studies, among others, we do not have much time to sleep.
We explain why it is not so necessary to sleep 8 hours and what you can do to make your rest effective in less time. Remember that a good rest helps you improve your productivity and cognition.
What factors influence bedtime?
There are distracting factors that can detract from the moment you decide to go to sleep. For example, the television, mobile phone, tablet, thinking about work, stress or things to do are some of the factors that can get your sleep out of control .
When you lose control of your bedtime, you also lose control of your time to get up, and it can generate some problems, among which we can mention the following:
- It costs you more to get up.
- You wake up tired.
- You wake up irritated or moody.
- You feel like you didn’t get enough rest.
- It is difficult for you to concentrate, in your daily activities, among others.
That is why the experts recommend that you have planning and create a habit at bedtime, so that the hours you spend sleeping are effective and you can really rest.
2 essential habits for a restful sleep
Medical studies have linked poor sleep to health problems and cognitive decline. Therefore, having a good rest is important for your health and performance.
Daniel Gartenberg, a sleep scientist and TED resident, says that a healthy sleeper can sleep about 7 hours, but to achieve this he must have proper planning before going to bed. In this sense, Gartenberg recommends these two simple habits for you to achieve a comfortable sleep.
2.1. Create a routine before bed
Nobody likes to be tired, grumpy, and mentally drained from a bad night. In order for you to have a good night’s sleep, you must begin to effectively organize and schedule your sleep hours. Just as you schedule a doctor’s appointment, you also need to schedule your sleep or do your sleeping routine.
To achieve a comfortable sleep, we recommend that you implement these four steps:
- Determine what time you need to wake up.
- Count down 8 and a half hours before waking up, to estimate the time when you should go getting ready to sleep.
- Allow 90 minutes before the 8 1/2 hour bedtime begins.
- Use those 90 minutes to unwind from the day (without work or stimulating activity with electronic products).
2.2. Focus on one sound
The environments play an important role in all the activities we develop, and bedtime does not escape it.
Gartenberg explains that our brain has microexcitations throughout the night without you being aware of it. Even an air conditioning unit that turns on suddenly can wake up our brains. So blocking noise is a measure that you can implement to improve the quality of your sleep .
According to a recent study published in the April 2017 issue of Sleep , white noise improves sleep quality , making it easier for you to fall asleep faster and promoting deeper sleep.
Reference
- Hayes, J. The ‘8 Hours of Sleep’ Rule Is a Myth. Here’s What You Should Do Instead. [Revised August 2018]
