Sleeping problems have a massive effect on one’s life, leading to all kinds of health problems, including anxiety and depression, difficulties in concentration, and a variety of related physical problems. Insomnia has many sources, too.
It can be caused by stressful situations in life, or lifestyle issues such as jet lag, alcohol or caffeine intake. Anything which stops us from getting the right amount of sleep we need (seven to eight hours as an adult, eight to nine hours as an adolescent and six to eight for the elderly) is a bad thing indeed. Good sleep is something which deserves the highest priority, as much as exercise and diet.
Of course, exercise and diet are also key factors in assuring that your sleep is of a good quality. It’s a virtuous cycle- if you eat well and stay active, you’ll find that you find it a lot easier to get a good night’s sleep. Another good tip is to avoid distractions in your sleeping area, such as computers or other electronic equipment. The more dedicated your bedroom is to sleep, the more fit for purpose it will be. One of the most common issues with our modern lifestyles is that we do too much in our sleeping areas. If we are to optimise our capability for sleep, we should not be associating our bedrooms with activity like work, or entertainment.
A good way to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep is to establish a personal routine, switching off things like the TV well before you go to sleep, taking time to relax and to get your body ready to shut down. A common mistake people make is to think that they need to tire their minds out before going to sleep, and so they’ll end up playing games on their computers or reading till they can’t keep their eyes open.
This is just self-defeating behaviour- the more you are doing to keep your mind stimulated, the more likely you are to stay awake. The opposite is true- each night, you should be trying to let go of thoughts which keep your mind occupied, to gently drift off, and let yourself relax into a calm and peaceful night’s sleep.
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