A person who has poor sleep, no matter for how long or how short they’ve slept, they wake up tired. It’s very important for our body to sleep soundly for a productive day and a healthy body.
There’s a saying,
Sleeping is like sending your body to a repair shop.
If sleep is this important, then understanding it is also important.
Symptoms of poor sleep
The first step is to identify the problem. Here are some symptoms which one might experience because of poor sleep quality.
- Difficulty in concentration
2. Confusion
3. Difficulty in making decisions
4. Feeling Moody and irritated
5. Poor memory
6. Forgetting things
7. Yawning throughout the day
8. Napping at unusual time (e.g., in classrooms, at work, etc. )
9. Loss of interest
10. Taking too much time to fall asleep at night
Diary for Self diagnosing poor sleep quality
Create a diary for sleeping habits. Everyday Noting down the conditions you’re going through can help you to determine sleep quality.
4 crucial things to note-
1. Time taken by you to fall asleep. Measured from the time you go to bed to when you fall asleep.
2. How frequently you wake up during the night.
3. Minutes spent awake during the night after going to after you first go to sleep.
4. Total time duration spent in sleeping.
You can also note other symptoms like headache and mood(angry, frustrated, sad). In future if the condition persists, it will come in handy while having professional help.
Causes of poor sleep
There are many reasons that can degrade sleep quality:
1. Depression or Anxiety
2. Environment (hot/cold or even too many mosquitoes)
3. Caffeine
4. Work
5. Screen time
Poor sleep can also occur due to some underlying disorders(like PTSD) or some medical conditions(like cancer or asthma). If the poor sleep condition persists, it is advised to seek a professional.
How can one improve sleep quality?
1. Bedroom environment: make your bedroom a comfortable zone for your mind. Try to eliminate lights and make it as dark as possible. Try a sleeping mask if required. Make your bed a place just to sleep and relax. Avoid doing work on your bed.
2. Screen time: put away your phones 30 minutes before sleeping.
3. Build a healthy sleeping routine: when you’ve spare 30 minutes, you can utilize the time by relaxing your mind, for e.g., meditation, Journaling, or even skin care.
4. Try sleeping on time: many people stay up late. As they do not have a sleeping routine, they tend to sleep at irregular time which therefore causes them to have irregular sleep duration.
5. Avoid caffeine: avoid consuming caffeine which might be responsible for waking you up.
6. Sunlight: sunlight is very important for the body, you should go out in the morning sun for at least 20 minutes.
A good quality sleep can bring the best out of you. Giving your sleep some priorities might help you in long term. It can do wonders. Don’t underestimate the power of a good-comfy sleep!
By: Pranjal
Written as knowledge Analyst for the internship at Krsh Welfare Foundation
