How I defeated years of lack of sleep and became a lark: personal experience and advice
'13.01.2021'
Source: Life hacker
A personal story and some useful tips for those who want to finally get enough sleep.
On the clock - two nights. Exhausted, I fall onto the sofa. As it was - in a sweater, street jeans and with an unwashed head that absorbed the smells of library books and sweat sweat. I disconnect with the naive dream that tomorrow will come in a couple of days, says Life hacker Alexandra Bykova, journalist, writer, healthy lifestyle expert.
At six in the morning the alarm goes off. With a groan I roll off the couch. After a shower, my face acquires a meaningful expression, and oatmeal with hot sandwiches brings me back to life. Books in a backpack, a backpack on his shoulders. I fly out of the house, catch a departing bus - and, after a few minutes, I ride in a crowded subway. Hello, new day!
"As usual? Double? ”The acquaintance of the barista smiles sympathetically. I nod. While he is making coffee, I catch a reflection in the mirror. The look is shabby. Having wetted my finger with saliva, I erase the strokes of a ballpoint pen from my cheek that survived after the morning shower. I drain the miniature cup in one gulp. I rush to study.
Sleepless youth
Welcome to my reality seven years ago. I am 20, and I just returned home after a six-month internship in South Korea. I am in my fourth year at the Gorky Literary Institute, I work as an English teacher, I go in for sports five times a week. Time is running out, so I go to bed at two in the morning, get up at six in the morning and can not imagine life without a shock dose of caffeine.
The sad story of sleepless nights began in high school. I was preparing for the FCE, the Cambridge English Certificate Exam. This was my first serious exam, and I was afraid of failure until my knees were trembling. My family members even found me sleeping under the kitchen radiator with my textbooks in my arms. Mom and grandmother were seriously worried and hoped that my night vigils would end soon. It turned out - everything was just beginning.
Preparatory courses, final exams at the gymnasium, entrance to the institute. And then - dashing student youth with lectures, tests, sessions and internships abroad. With the onset of working days, everyday sleep has become an inadmissible luxury. The same numbers chased me: hang up at one or two nights, rise at six in the morning.
The disease that made you sleep
I was young: I worked from morning till night, was engaged in three sports and sincerely considered sleep a waste of time. Until in January 2015, she caught an intestinal infection.
The country walked, and I lay in bed. My stomach was spinning, my body was like mine. A paralyzing weakness spilled over each cell. I could not even move my fingers. A week ago, I ran as usual, and now lay in bed. There was no question of work: I had to cancel the lessons and refuse translations. I ate liquid oatmeal, drank water, and got enough sleep over the past seven years. For two whole weeks I slept on 10, 11, even 12 hours a day - and it was wonderful.
On the subject: 6 things you shouldn’t do before bedtime
Light bulb against melatonin
For many centuries in a row, we have respected the laws of nature and have not known grief. Woke up at sunrise, fell asleep after sunset. At the end of the XNUMXth century, Thomas Edison's light bulb turned the world upside down. Nightlife, convenience stores, and double-shift work were introduced. Life has changed, but our biorhythms have not. The retina of the eye perceives any bright light as sunlight, and the body sends us signals "not to sleep." Cleansing and repairing cells is delayed, and less sleep hormone melatonin is produced. The later we go to bed, the less time we spend in deep sleep. It is in it that active recovery takes place. At stake is our performance, health and emotional balance.
Healthy Sleep Award
In "Three Comrades" Remarque wrote: "Only the unfortunate one knows what happiness is." I was so used to not getting enough sleep that I became akin to constant fatigue. The disease opened my eyes. It turned out that you can live not on 40% of energy, but on 100%. How? Very simple! Go to bed before 11 and sleep for at least seven hours. This is what I got by becoming a morning person.
- Energy
Having recovered, I began to wake up at dawn. Jerked off the blanket and jumped out of bed: finally a new day! There was not a trace of morning weakness. It’s as if they pumped me up with strength!
- Productivity
Work burned in the hands: I translated and edited texts faster, easier and more accurately.
- Emotional balance
I did not break down on others, did not respond to irritants, I became calm and patient. Changes in mood and outbursts of anger are a thing of the past.
- Concentration
I no longer forgot where I put things and where I leave the phone. At times it was easier to hold attention and not be distracted by extraneous matters.
- Health
I got stronger, became stronger and more resilient. At running training, I threw whole minutes from the distances, and at the climbing wall I passed trails that I was afraid to even look at before.
- Beauty
The bruises under the eyes disappeared, the skin color leveled, wrinkles on the forehead smoothed out. A healthy glow appeared on her cheeks.
On the subject: Whether to sleep without underwear: the opinion of the gynecologist
Xnumx Healthy Sleep Tips
For those who want to fall asleep quickly and firmly. Checked on yourself!
1. Let the air in
Sleeping in a well-ventilated area is much more pleasant. In the evening, I always open the window so that fresh air can enter the room. A couple of years ago, my mother gave me a warm blanket - since then I have slept with an open window both in winter and in summer.
2. Stay away from screens before bedtime.
Whether it’s a TV, laptop or smartphone, the bright light of the display stimulates the brain and inhibits the production of sleep hormone. Lingering at a computer until late, I noticed every time that it was harder for me to fall asleep. So reading paper books in the evenings returned to life - a habit that helps to escape from daily worries and relax before going to bed. Down with the screens, long live the books!
3. Sleep, not digest
It’s not without reason that the wise said: “Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and leave dinner to the enemy.” I try to eat 3 – 4 hours before bedtime and choose foods that are not saturated with proteins and fats. Unlike carbohydrates, they are absorbed for a long time, and the digestive system remains in operation for several hours after going to bed. Often my dinner consists of a plate of stewed vegetables and a salad. This is enough to not get hungry until the morning.
4. Go in for sports
To sleep better, increase physical activity. When the body gets tired, the brain shuts off much faster. Just do not overdo it, otherwise recovery will require more sleep time. Enough 2 – 3 workouts per week.
5. Praise yourself for your day
Life changes when we love and respect ourselves. In a day, we successfully cope with dozens of tasks, and this is an excellent occasion to say: “Well done today!” Before going to bed, I made it a rule to let go of anxious thoughts and praise myself for the day I lived. When nothing bothers me, the dream is deep and calm.
6. Dedicate your morning to your favorite activities
I saved the main advice for last. To get up easily and happily, do what you love every morning. Once, lying in bed, I thought dreamily: “I would like to brew my favorite herbal tea, read a book, write in a diary ...” Then it dawned on me: maybe this is how to start the day?
The next morning I woke up at dawn and a bullet flew out of bed. The nostrils tickled the aroma of tea not yet brewed, and his hands itched to write. The world was asleep. These 1,5 hours belonged only to me, and I felt like the happiest lark in the world.
Four years have passed since then. I changed schedules, cities and work. But no matter how busy life is, I always find time for a full sleep and a quiet morning. When I wake up, I drink a glass of water, do exercises, write in my diary for half an hour. And then I study Korean for another hour or read. I do not turn on the Internet, I do not go to social networks. In the morning, I enjoy the silence and do what I love most.
When was the last time you felt you were charged at 100%? When did you want a new day to come soon? When did you wake up with a smile on your face? For a long time there was no such? And I didn’t have it until I turned from an owl into a lark. I wanted to be happy, healthy and productive. I wanted my brain to work like a clock, and the body did not know fatigue.
I managed. The business is yours!
