the worst thing to do when you're not sleeping well is to stress about it. the second worse thing (very close second) is to drink. alcohol keeps your brain from being able to engage in the correct amounts of each type of sleep. when you drink, you don't wake up feeling rested, you wake up feeling pukey/headachey, right? there's a reason for that. so when you're not sleeping well, try to keep the drinking to 2 or less in a night.
this change in habits could be a normal change--as in, you're no longer a teenager and no longer need 10 hours of sleep every night. proven fact: teenagers need as much sleep as 6 year olds; they sleep later, go to bed later, and their circadian rhythms are just plain different than adults.
in general, adults need 7.5-8 hours every night. if, however, you're not getting that much, join the club. 90% of adults don't get enough sleep. sleep needs will vary with your monthly cycle and hormone levels. if you're sleeping less than usual this week (or month), you should not panic. just go with it, and appreciate the extra hours of productivity! if you DO get tired during the day, DO NOT nap. go to bed earlier, yes, but napping in the middle of the day wreaks havoc with a schedule. your brain thrives on schedule. listen to your brain. get up at the same time every day, and go to bed at the same time. i know this won't happen, i was in college too, but at least try to keep it within a reasonable 2-hr time period (ie: if you're getting up at 6:30 some mornings, don't sleep later than 8:30 on other mornings... etc).
mostly, don't worry. if you ARE feeling tired, like i said, don't nap, just work on getting to bed earlier. don't watch TV or computer for 30 min or so before trying to sleep--find a book (accounting books will suffice, as they bore me to death) or knitting or something instead. don't stimulate your vision centers, because they're hardest to shut down (reading is language, not vision, for the curious). caffeine doesn't sound like a problem, but if you have trouble getting to sleep, none after noon is a good rule to live by.
i could go on and on and on about this subject. if you want a longer diatribe, email me. *heart* your friendly neighborhood medical student
the worst thing to do when you're not sleeping well is to stress about it. the second worse thing (very close second) is to drink. alcohol keeps your brain from being able to engage in the correct amounts of each type of sleep. when you drink, you don't wake up feeling rested, you wake up feeling pukey/headachey, right? there's a reason for that. so when you're not sleeping well, try to keep the drinking to 2 or less in a night.
this change in habits could be a normal change--as in, you're no longer a teenager and no longer need 10 hours of sleep every night. proven fact: teenagers need as much sleep as 6 year olds; they sleep later, go to bed later, and their circadian rhythms are just plain different than adults.
in general, adults need 7.5-8 hours every night. if, however, you're not getting that much, join the club. 90% of adults don't get enough sleep. sleep needs will vary with your monthly cycle and hormone levels. if you're sleeping less than usual this week (or month), you should not panic. just go with it, and appreciate the extra hours of productivity! if you DO get tired during the day, DO NOT nap. go to bed earlier, yes, but napping in the middle of the day wreaks havoc with a schedule. your brain thrives on schedule. listen to your brain. get up at the same time every day, and go to bed at the same time. i know this won't happen, i was in college too, but at least try to keep it within a reasonable 2-hr time period (ie: if you're getting up at 6:30 some mornings, don't sleep later than 8:30 on other mornings... etc).
mostly, don't worry. if you ARE feeling tired, like i said, don't nap, just work on getting to bed earlier. don't watch TV or computer for 30 min or so before trying to sleep--find a book (accounting books will suffice, as they bore me to death) or knitting or something instead. don't stimulate your vision centers, because they're hardest to shut down (reading is language, not vision, for the curious). caffeine doesn't sound like a problem, but if you have trouble getting to sleep, none after noon is a good rule to live by.
i could go on and on and on about this subject. if you want a longer diatribe, email me.
*heart*
your friendly neighborhood medical student
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