We may ignore the importance of learning how to sleep well. And it is natural, since the routine makes us focus on other activities; that at first sight, are “more important”.
But you must be very careful with this, since the problems that come from not knowing how to sleep well; are quite serious:
Why should I learn how to sleep well.
According to Nick Littlehales, the “guru” of sleep, who has taught and verified the importance of knowing how to sleep well, to different soccer teams, cycling teams, and athletes in general (including Cristiano Ronaldo); not sleeping affects the following:
Nick even assures that there is enough evidence that proves the influence of not sleeping well; about the increase in cases with people with type 2 diabetes.
Later we will see 8 tips to learn how to sleep well according to Nick Littlehales. But first, we must understand the following.
How do I know if I have a sleep disorder?
The Helpguide.org portal suggests that we answer the following questions:
- Do you feel irritable or sleepy during the day?
- Do you have difficulty staying awake when you are sitting watching TV or reading?
- Do you fall asleep or feel very tired when driving?
- Do you not concentrate easily?
- Do you react slowly?
- Do you have trouble controlling your emotions?
- Do you often get told that you look tired?
- Do you feel like taking naps during the day?
- Do you need to drink caffeine to continue with your activities?
If these symptoms occur often, it is important that you take action on the matter
You may have noticed that when you don’t sleep well, you wake up tired. And if the situation worsens, a cycle is created; where you are always tired and can never rest.
If this is your case, you may be suffering from one of these sleep disorders:
Most common sleep disorders.
- insomnia.
- Sleep apnea: Breathing stops while you sleep.
- Restless legs syndrome: Uncontrollable need to move your legs when you are resting.
- narcolepsy: Inability to regulate sleep cycles.
- Sleep disorder due to jet lag.
- late sleep phase disorder: The biological clock is off.
- Jet lag: Temporary disruption of the circadian cycle.
After learning why it is important to learn how to sleep well, how to know if I have sleep disorders and what are the most common; Let’s look at Nick’s 8 tips to learn how to sleep well.
8 tips to learn how to sleep well.
-
Good sleep starts before you get into bed.
It may not seem very logical, but there are certain activities that it is better not to do before bed. How to check your electronic devices.
“People in all walks of life are spending more and more time with electronic devices, such as phones and tablets that stimulate the brain with artificial light; always checking their email and social media updates,” says Nick.
-
Avoid alcohol consumption.
Although after drinking a few drinks we can feel sleepy; alcohol prevents us from reaching the stage of deep sleep. You may think that drunks sleep a lot; the question is that they do not have quality sleep.
So if you have a hard time sleeping; do not turn to alcohol as an alternative.
-
Divide your sleeping times.
Nick, based on his research and experience; he prefers to divide his sleep hours into 9-minute cycles. Namely. If a 1 cycle=90 minutes; 5 cycles=450 minutes (or 7 and a half hours)
He also maintains that it is not necessary to sleep all running cycles. You can divide them.
In many cities, generally with a tropical climate, it is customary for people to take naps after lunch.
Nick experienced this first hand when he was an adviser to the Real Madrid coaching staff and saw that there was no activity at noon.
-
Do exercise.
Exercising not only serves to make you look better; it is incredibly helpful for better sleep.
Nick says it’s a great way to unload the brain and let it rest.
-
Take breaks.
Going hand in hand with the previous point; It’s important to Nick that we take breaks during the day. Because to learn how to sleep well, we need to understand that sleep is a recovery process; which we must “work” during the day.
Stresses that we should not view breaks as a waste of time; but as a necessary respite for our recovery. However, he also says that if you feel the need to take breaks every hour; you should change jobs.
-
Dreams are a good symptom.
It’s not really a tip to learn how to sleep well, but it’s a good sign that you’re doing things right.
Since we dream when we reach the deep stages of sleep. And it is precisely in those stages, when the body and the brain recover in the best way.
-
Make sure your room is exclusively for sleeping.
This allows you to get away from more electronic devices and therefore artificial light that does not let your brain rest.
Also, Nick recommends that you check the temperature of your room very well. Make sure it’s a medium temperature; where your body is neither hot nor cold.
-
rise with the sun
Our sleep has a direct relationship with light and darkness; since each one makes the body release a hormone. Darkness makes us secrete melatonin, which predisposes us to relax and sleep. While light stimulates serotonin, whose mission is to make us active and alert.
“In today’s world, because we are so surrounded by artificial light, our relationship with light becomes unbalanced. If you don’t seek darkness to sleep, for example, all you do is keep serotonin levels up; which keeps you awake instead of allowing you to move into a recovery state,” says Nick.
So getting up with the sunlight makes it easier to wake up.
conclusion
Learning how to sleep well is something that is in our power. As well as these tips from Nick Littlehales, you can find much more information. The important thing is that you put them into practice and understand that changes do not happen overnight.
Just think that if great football teams and sports in general, are given the task of investing in the good sleep of athletes to improve their performance; It’s because it’s real.
So sleep tight, so you don’t sabotage your dreams 🙂
And remember, if you are really interested in creating your own business, you can read our book “How to create a company while working: Discover how to manage your time, manage your money and motivate yourself while creating a company and working for another” , where you will find all the information you need to found your own company, without having to leave your job.
