Why are We Always Tired?
Why do some of us always feel sleepy despite having slept so many hours?
Some of us can fall asleep so quickly, and yet still wake up this way:
This is a pertinent question, especially for those of us who lead busy lives — rest is so essential yet so luxurious. The feeling of sleepiness and grogginess poses a problem to our personal and professional lives.
When we wake up feeling lazy rather than refreshed, we are less focused, less able to think creatively, and are more irritable when interacting with our friends and colleagues.
So why do we feel sleepy despite getting long hours of rest?
Poor quality of sleep is characterised by poor sleep duration, and poor sleep quality. It occurs when we do not fall into deep sleep for long enough.
How does it show?
We fall asleep while watching the TV or listening to music.
We frequently have nightmares.
We can’t sleep at night and try to compensate in the day.
After waking up naturally, we lie in bed, thus “extending” our sleeping hours.
These are all signs of poor sleep quality.
1) Irregular work-rest routine
Late working hours, early working hours, and even changing working hours can disrupt our sleep cycles. It’s worse for those of us who continue to work outside of their working hours.
2) Poor habits before bed
It’s a bad idea to use phones before bed. The light emitted by these electronic devices can inhibit the production of melatonin, which is key to feeling sleepy.
3) Fast-paced and stressful lifestyles
Restless thoughts about work can really haunt us at night. It’s stressful also to think that we need to wake up early the next day to catch a meeting.
How much sleep do we need a day?
While it’s recommended that we sleep about 7–8 hours a day, the duration varies according to a person’s genes, metabolism, gender, etc.
Former British PM Margaret Thatcher famously needed only 4 hours of rest at night before getting back to work. Similarly, former Singapore PM Lee Kuan Yew required just 5 hours of sleep to be well-rested for the day.
As it turns out, people with the gene p.Tyr362HIS are capable of functioning with just 4 to 5 hours of sleep, an hour or less than the majority of people.
That’s great if you’re a student, because you won’t end up like that:
The ideal amount of sleep a person needs will change as he ages, or when the living environment around him changes, thus making it difficult to determine the “ideal” number of sleeping hours.
Regardless, one good measure of whether you’re getting enough sleep is to compare how much you sleep during weekdays and weekends. A sharp difference in sleeping hours shows that you’re not getting enough sleep consistently.
How to improve your quality of sleep:
Firstly, it’s important to maintain regular sleeping patterns. Try to sleep and wake up at around the same time each day, regardless of whether it’s a weekday or weekend. A good habit before sleep is to put away electronic distractions and replace them with some light-hearted activity, such as reading a book.
Next, your environment must be good for sleeping. This means keeping your room in pitch-black darkness (or using an eye mask), and blocking out sounds using a white noise generator. It’s good to check that your pillow is comfortable and your bed well-made for a good night’s rest.
Finally, equally important to getting certain hours of sleep is to sleep at the right time. Some studies show that it’s best to clock at least 6 hours of sleep before your body temperature drops to its coldest. Once your body temperature drops to its coldest, deep sleep becomes difficult — this hampers sleep quality. Since that happens around 6am in the morning, it’s ideal to sleep before 12am.
It’s kind of an open secret, but Miao sleeps nearly 12–16 hours a day. That’s how he’s so great at Math ;)
Yo! I’m Miao. Can’t believe you scrolled all the way down here… bet you could’ve done a Math question with that time 😎 How about this — want to do Math together? I’m right here!
