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Start Sleeping Better with Advice from These 3 Sleep Research Experts
Counting sheep isn’t one of them
Did you pull all-nighters in school cramming for exams? Maybe you let that report slide too close to the deadline, or you're rehearsing how to ask for a raise. Whatever the reason, most people have gone a night or 2 (or 3) without getting enough sleep or no sleep at all.
While it’s possible to go a few days without enough sleep, eventually, sleep deprivation catches up to you, and payback can be a bitch. According to the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, “Impairments due to sleep deprivation are similar to impairments due to alcohol intoxication!”
Research shows that approximately 30 percent of the population is sleep deprived, and you don’t have to go without sleep for days to feel the effects. Losing only 2 hours of sleep negatively affects your mood and overall health. Prolonged sleep deficits compound the problem and create a dangerous sleep deficit that may lead to long-term physical, neurological, and psychological problems.
So, what can you do when sleep refuses to arrive on demand? Here are 3 pieces of expert advice for ensuring a good night’s sleep and feeling refreshed and ready to go in the morning.
Learn to control your thinking
Worry is one of the more common destroyers of sleep. You might be settled down all snug in your bed, but your thoughts are far from visions of sugar plums.
If you’re worrying or fretting, your thoughts are in a neverending loop like a hamster eternally spinning on its wheel. The only way to stop spinning is to shift your focus away from the thoughts that are fueling it. While it’s almost impossible to still your thoughts by sheer willpower, one of the easiest ways to do it is with a breathing practice.
“I think we’ve all felt the catharsis that a deep healing breath can provide when we’re feeling strung out. A productive breathing exercise can help encourage relaxation, reduce muscle tension, and even lower your heart rate and blood pressure.” — Michael Breus, Ph.D., the “Sleep Doctor”
Dr. Breus recommends the 4–7–8 Technique, which is the one I use when my thoughts are…
