The idea of bedtime procrastination has gained popularity due to the pandemic, through social media and elsewhere. As the pandemic, constant lockdowns, and other unfortunate things are going on in the world, stress is increasing day by day. When we feel like things are going out of control, we try to take control of our lives in the night, by delaying bedtime and engaging ourselves with screens and other entertainment. This has led to a lot of sleep disorders in us. There has been a sharp rise in adults who have started suffering from sleep problems. Not getting over sleep procrastination and not sleeping 7-9 hours every night can be harmful. How to get over it?
Reflect on your day
Journaling to say thanks to your day and what you have is trendy nowadays, and a fast rummage around for gratitude journals on Amazon reveals a huge number of options. But whether you select to truly write down your gratitude list or not, research suggests that gratitude practice balances out uncertainty and anxiety rising because of it. Allowing yourself to go to sleep peacefully involves some amount of surrender.
You have to give up being vigilant throughout and suspect things around you. Journalling is useful to reflect on your day and list down whatever things went right that day, however small. Writing down your reflections calms your mind, brings the sense of safety and security back, and helps you transition smoothly into sleep and leave the day behind. Ending the day on a positive note is important for good sleep, and gratitude journaling helps!
Inhale, exhale, meditate
One important and identifiable thing happens once we sleep- our breathing is slow, calm, and regular. Our brains have evolved to understand we are safe when we are breathing as we do. Sleeping involves discarding control, which in and of itself is terrifying for those with high stress. Breathing exercises are known to stimulate the nerve response to supply the security and trust responses, that is, breathing exercise calms our nerves.
Variety of studies confirm that breathing exercises are effective against both anxiety and insomnia. The moment you find yourself reaching out for the phone to participate in an argument or witness an argument online, try some breath work instead. There are many apps available as well to guide you through breathing and meditation.
Make your bedroom a haven for sleep
What do you mean by this? Well for starters, the bedroom should be an electronics-free zone. They not only hamper our sleep patterns by the usage of blue lights, but they are also a major source of distraction and procrastination. More often than not, we find ourselves scrolling through social media and getting lost in it for several hours before we actually go to sleep. Or start binge-watching some show on your TV and suddenly it’s early morning, and you have watched many episodes instead of the promised one. Keep your phones, tablets, TV, or laptop- whatever is the source of entertainment for you- outside the bedroom. See to it that you stop using electronics at least half an hour before bedtime.
Making your bedroom a haven for sleep also includes decorating your bedroom in such a way that it facilitates sleep. Invest in a mattress that suits your sleeping needs- if you have orthopedic problems, then go for an ortho mattress. A latex mattress also helps with pressure points and reduces motion transfer from your partner. It may also help with allergies. A foam mattress is a budget-friendly and human-friendly alternative to a regular mattress. Likewise, a blackout curtain and comfortable pillows also help the sleep environment. Find all your sleeping needs on Livpure. Livpure delivers all sleeping solutions right to your doorstep with many options for payments and an extended warranty, with assured quality.
Reduce your workload
Stress and sleep disorders are linked to each other. If you can manage the stress, your sleep disorders also might get resolved by themselves. The best way to manage work-related stress is to schedule and plan out everything prior to the day so that you feel that there is stability. Unplanned workdays are the most stressful. Making a to-do list helps. But that does not mean that you have to check off everything on that list. The list might be too long, and you need to shut off in the evening to get a good night’s rest.
During the current pandemic times, most of us feel that the work hours have increased because of work from home and no clear boundaries between work and home. Most places are also taking in the factor that there is no commute time, hence pressurizing the workforce to work more hours. This is something that you need to manage well- more work hours mean that you will also fight to get some personal and entertainment hours. And if you spend so many hours working and then spending time with yourself, your sleep will suffer and you will delay your bedtime. Draw clear lines and talk to your supervisor about managing work hours to increase efficiency and reduce your chances to get sleep disorders.
Maintain a bedtime hygiene
The most important thing is to maintain a regular routine before going to bed. Stress from all day long can creep into your bedtime and leaves you delaying your sleep time or not getting any sleep at all. That is why a de-stressing bedtime routine is important. You can do many things like:
- Take a warm shower to wash away the stress from all day and calm down your body temperature. It helps you sleep quickly and comfortably.
- Stop consuming alcohol, nicotine, and sugary food near bedtime, if not at all.
- Reading a book, listening to a podcast or music, etc. If there is a regular habit of one of these, your body will soon learn how to relax and get ready for sleep.
- Keeping the last hour before you go to bed screen-free.
- Meditating
One or all of the abovementioned can help you go to sleep easily as the body understands a routine and will soon get adapted. Take out 30-45 minutes at the end of the day to practice these rituals regularly.
Conclusion
Bedtime procrastination is unnecessary. Though we know that it is bad for our health and wastes a lot of time, we still sometimes engage in it to feel like having control over ourselves. With time and a little bit of routine, we can overcome it easily. And when we start sleeping properly, our stress, which in turn is keeping us awake, will soon get minimized. So, the mantra of our life should be to sleep more to live stress-free.
