Sleep hygiene
No matter how busy you are, make sure that you spend some time to sleep!
A lot of people ignore about their sleep hygiene. Well, I have no intention to blame anyone about sleep hygiene; I don’t think I am good at that as well. Maybe that is the scarification I need to do as a doctor and a parent. But, no matter what, I am here to emphasize that all of us need a good sleep. Just like other electrical machine, we need to recharge ourselves. And like everything else, too much or too little is not good. Make sure you are not oversleeping. Don’t forget that if you want your dream to come true, you cannot oversleep. This is some tips about sleep hygiene.
- Don’t go to bed until you feel sleepy and don’t stay in bed if you’re not asleep. You will only end up wasting your time.
- Avoid daytime naps. Well, if you can discipline yourself, it might be helpful if you have a little nap about 15-30 minutes just before “Zohor” prayer in the afternoon. It may help you to regain some energy. But remember that you cannot oversleep.
- If possible establish a regular bedtime routine. Unless you have a work shift and your bedtime highly depending on your bizarre schedule.
- Unless you live in a studio (where your bed is the same place to eat and watch television), reserve your room for sleep only. Please do not eat, read, work or watch television in your room. I am not quite sure about reading though, frankly speaking, if I want to sleep, I always find a book to read, preferable a text book, because it always makes me feel sleepy. Hmm… I think a lot of my colleagues agree with me.
- Avoid extreme noise, lightning, temperature, etc, in your room. Make your room is the most comfortable place for you. It is a place to recharge your battery.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine before going to bed. Well, if you do smoke, please quit; it does more harm than good.
- Warm bath and milky drink before bedtime might help some people.
- Take regular exercise, but avoid late night hard exercise. If you are married, sex is okay. If you are not… please avoid.
- If you are suffering for insomnia, a sleep diary is a useful tool to monitor your sleep. Record both the times you sleep and the quality of the sleep.
- Wake up at the same time every morning regardless how long you have slept.
Sleeps don’t always come easy to everyone. Sometimes, it needs training, the same as other skill you need to achieve in life. Remember, money is important. Good sleep is even more important. Have a good sleep. Invest in your dream. And look at the result. Good luck!
Reference:
- Chantal Simon et al. Oxford handbook of General Practice. Second edition. 2005.
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What are your thoughts on polyphasic sleeping schedules (several short naps throughout the day)? They are said to maximize REM sleep, and it means that you spend less time sleeping than you normally would. For example, I believe the Uberman sleep schedule consists of taking six 30 minute naps throughout the day.