#Keepingyouawake download download#

And this makes it more likely that you’ll get the sleep you need.ĭiscover why a good night’s sleep might be the key to effective leadership. Do you wake up feeling refreshed and recharged? Do you have the energy to do the things you need and want to each day? Keeping this in mind can help you to relax your grip on the idea that you have to get XX hours of sleep. But instead of striving for a specific, arbitrary number of hours, try measuring sleep quality in terms of the energy you have each day. That’s not to say we shouldn’t allow ourselves that time if it’s what we need. There are numerous examples of successful people who are able to flourish and thrive without a prescribed number of hours of sleep. But that’s not always the case for everyone. Lots of us grip on to the idea that we must have at least 8 hours of solid sleep. Learn more about ACT and sleep Shift the Goal PostsĪnother helpful approach is to reconsider what a good night’s sleep actually means. This approach draws heavily on mindfulness and involves learning to accept our thoughts and feelings (including the negative ones) rather than trying to change or control them.

One way to help soften this rigid approach to sleep is to practice Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Holding on too tightly to sleep aids and rituals can become a source of sleep anxiety and prevent us from getting the sleep we need. If you’re unable to ‘perform’ part of your ritual for some reason, you may be convinced that you will unable to sleep, and this anxiety creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. The danger is that when we rely too heavily on having a set bedtime ritual, it can become a source of anxiety in itself. Some examples of healthy bedtime routines include: Regular habits signal to our minds and bodies that it’s time to unwind and prepare for sleep. Just as children need a bedtime routine to help them settle each night, adults respond in the same way. There’s lots of evidence that a regular bedtime routine helps us establish a healthy sleep pattern. To get a better night’s slumber, parents can limit their kids’ technology use in the bedroom, and mom and dad should be solid role models and set the tone by doing the same.Are Your Sleep Rituals Keeping You Awake? The difference adds up to almost an hour per night, and the quality of snoozing is negatively affected too. About 72 percent of children ages six to 17 sleep with at least one electronic device in their bedroom, which leads to getting less sleep on school nights compared with other kids, according to their parents. Just because you’re not using your cell phone before bed doesn’t mean that it can’t harm your sleep: Keeping a mobile within reach can still disturb slumber, thanks to the chimes of late night texts, emails, calls, or calendar reminders. After spending an entire day surrounded by technology, your mind needs time to unwind. And if you’re surfing the web, seeing something exciting on Facebook, or reading a negative email, those experiences can make it hard to relax and settle into slumber. It may seem harmless to knock out a few emails before bed or unwind with a favorite movie, but by keeping your mind engaged, technology can trick your brain into thinking that it needs to stay awake. Even better: Make your bedroom a technology-free zone-keep your electronics outside the room (that includes a TV!). But to make sure technology isn’t harming your slumber, give yourself at least 30 minutes of gadget-free transition time before hitting the hay. Most Americans admit to using electronics a few nights a week within an hour before bedtime. Take the first step towards improving your sleep.

#Keepingyouawake download download#

Download my FREE Guide: The Art of Sleep. Reducing melatonin makes it harder to fall and stay asleep. Instead, free yourself from what is keeping you awake at night. The blue light emitted by screens on cell phones, computers, tablets, and televisions restrain the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep/wake cycle or circadian rhythm.

Learn the facts about digital devices, below, so you can nip your tech habits in the bud. Whether you’re surfing the web, playing a video game, or using your phone as an alarm clock in the late evening, you’re probably keeping yourself from a restful night. Keeping your phone on your nightstand may not seem like a big deal, but technology affects your sleep in more ways than you realize.

Our cell phones, tablets, computers and other electronic gadgets have become such a huge part of our daily lives that it’s often hard to put them down-even at bedtime.