Posted: June 20, 2018

The most learned professor in an Ivy League school, a shrewd banker at the stock exchange, a metro train driver, a farmer, and a waiter at a busy restaurant--all of them have their own unique lives. However, one thing they all share is letting go and experiencing rest and relaxation during sleep.

Sleep is the most basic yet the most essential aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Although we need sleep badly, in this busy and demanding world our lifestyles and work commitments may interfere with sleep and cause fatigue during the day.

A few tips can help you create a marked improvement in your sleeping patterns and help your day be more active and productive.

1. Make your bedroom more sleep friendly

The most essential element to your sleep is a relaxing bedtime environment. A tranquil and serene bedroom sets the right tone for sound, deep sleep. When creating such a peaceful space, it would help to keep in mind the following suggestions:

• The right ventilation, depending on the climate, will add to the sleep experience.
• Avoid having flashy or bright lights, which cause a lot of disturbance to your eyes.
• Dress in comfortable, loose-fitting nightclothes, which enable you to feel more ease.
• Remove phones, laptops and tablets from your room. Their radiation might disturb you.

2. Be consistent with your bedtime

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” goes a famous kindergarten rhyme.

While we cannot totally implement it in today’s busy world, a consistent sleep pattern and a sound sleep of 6 to 8 hours is very important for the mind to charge itself to meet the challenges of your day. A consistent sleep pattern will naturally condition your body to rest well and your mind to settle down and recharge itself.

3. Fight hunger cramps & after dinner drowsiness

It’s not advisable to sleep on an empty stomach. For most people hunger can be a strong impediment to a sound sleep. Likewise, over-eating can also be an impediment to rest. An early and an adequate dinner is preferred. A light, balanced and wholesome dinner, with freshly cooked vegetables, fruits, light proteins and carbohydrates is ideal.

Allow yourself sufficient time between your meal and bedtime for the food to digest and bring your metabolism back to normalcy.

Eating late is not advisable either, as it pushes your sleep time even later. After dinner drowsiness might make you get into bed, but you might not get a sound sleep, since digestion increases metabolic rate in the body.

Sleep should not be an extreme shift for your mind. It’s not preferable to listen to loud music or watch heavy visuals on TV or computer right before bedtime, since they could be an impediment for the mind and body to rest.

4. Completely relax at bedtime with Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep)

Allowing your mind to settle down might help create a sound sleep. Just as a machine is turned down and rinsed with coolants after running, it’s essential to cool down your body after the strenuous activity of the day.

During the course of Yoga Nidra, you take your attention to various parts of the body. This calm, mental progression provides deep rest to both your mind and body, thereby enabling you to slip into a happy and deep sleep.

“Yoga Nidra helps provides your body with deep rest and also helps flush out all the fatigue accumulated in the body,” says Prajakti Deshmukh, a senior member of Art of Living’s meditation faculty.

5. Take quick breaks & power naps

Continuous work schedules and overworking yourself can also lead to feeling tired during the day. Fatigue happens due to the lack of oxygen in our system. Even the most advanced Formula One race cars can run beyond their limitations, and like them, our body needs recharging.

Quick breaks of 7 to 10 minutes once every hour or two can always be an opportunity to do the following:

• pause,
• drink some water,
• breathe some fresh air,
• gather your thoughts and energy,
• and bounce back to work.

Breaks at regular intervals allow your body to relax, thereby restoring its oxygen levels. Little breaks in the midst of your work schedule ensure your energy levels and productivity stay high.

A considerable gap of 15 to 20 minutes in the late afternoons can always be converted into a quick power nap or meditation break, which replenishes your level of enthusiasm to its earlier, well-rested state.