Sleep is something that a lot of people neglect, because they’re consumed with other priorities, ‘too busy’ for resting, or sometimes kept awake with thoughts.

Ideally, I like to get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. To some, that may sound like a luxury, and to others, unnecessary and ridiculous. Although, this preference isn’t always the case.

Of course, each person and every day is different. Sometimes you might need a lot more rest than other days, especially when you’re partaking in activities that are outside of your regular routine (after a long physically straining hike or a weekend of socializing). On the other hand, when you’re stressed out and worried about an important event or upcoming deadline, your body could have a surge of adrenaline, leaving you wanting to run far away from the bed.

Have you ever tried studying or completing an assignment after midnight?

During my undergraduate degree, I found myself forced to pull an all – nighter a couple of times, completing an essay in a state of exhaustion. It’s like hitting a brick wall, then attempting to knock it down with a fork and knife.

I always tried to get at least six hours of sleep the night before an exam, because if I didn’t, my brain was like mashed potato. Memory is impacted when one is lacking sleep, so how would you perform well after staying up for over 24 hours and feeding your body with nothing but caffeine and chapters of new information?

Health

A recent Ted Talk discussed research suggesting consistent beneficial sleeping patterns is vital for your health. Problems in aging, the reproductive system, and memory are correlated with poor long-term sleeping habits. Is this really a surprise? How is our brain going to process everything that happened in one day without getting rest and a chance to play catch up?

The researcher found when students pulled all-nighter’s, the memory circuits wouldn’t work properly, finding a 40% deficit in the ability of the brain to make new memories compared to those who got a healthy 8 hours of sleep.

The important moral: when you’re feeling tired, consider hitting the sack and rising early to do work instead. You’d be surprised at how much you could accomplish in an hour after a night of sleep, compared to wasting time staring at words in a state of exhaustion at night.

Creativity

Everyone works differently, though I find the best time for writing or completing tasks is first thing in the morning after rest, when you’re still in the dream-like state and your mind hasn’t been tampered by the outside stimulating society. The world feels quieter and it’s easier to care less about what people think, thus liberating creativity.

What helps?

Mindfulness is a great tactic to keep yourself in the present, stop thoughts ticking away, and drift into a deep sleep. Blindboy covers meditation in many of his podcasts, discussing how we can only spend so much time in our ‘thoughts’ and need to be attuned to the outside world. He compares overthinking to driving a car in first gear; it gives you a boost towards something but eventually will only get you so far and burn the engine out.

Apps such as ‘Headspace’ have great guides for newbies to meditating. If this sounds like a lot of effort (which many people seem to think meditation is), all you have to do is take a deep breath in and out, pay attention to sounds around you, and feel the body against surroundings. If your thoughts run away to another place in the process, become aware and acknowledge this, then take another deep breath. Meditation is simply coming back to the now.

Restricting caffeine, late-night snacking, and phones before sleep. There’s nothing worse than jumping under the blankets, ready to sleep, and then- BAM. Your mind won’t shut up. Rather than floating in a bunch of clouds through your dreams, you’re staring at a ceiling, noticing a new cobweb in the corner. Or flicking through your instagram wondering why you aren’t travelling the world or having a great time like everyone else in the universe.

Advice: Don’t have coffee after 6pm. Avoid eating late at night. Read a book instead of staring at screens.

Have a consistent routine: Falling asleep and waking up at the same time will help your quality of sleep, setting up a healthy body clock.

Other suggestions: Apple Cider Vinegar, Lavender, Hot baths/showers, Warm Milk

Make sure to rest when you’re feeling mentally strained. Look after yourself and always be kind to your body 🙂

Over and Out,

-Saoirse