Maintaining a Good Sleep Routine
The key to maintaining a good sleep routine is to be consistent. The importance of sleep cannot be overestimated. Getting enough sleep improves concentration and symptoms of depression or other conditions which a person may be experiencing. Also it may also improve judgment and job satisfaction.
In order to maintain a good sleep routine follow a good routine during the day. For instance, eat around the same times each day. If you usually eat breakfast at 7am, lunch at 12pm and dinner at 6pm, then stick to this schedule as closely as you can everyday. Doing so will make it become second nature. Also wake up and go to bed at the same time each night. This may be hard to do, especially if you have children, or a work schedule which changes often. But sticking to a good schedule will help you transmit good sleep habits to your children and also make you more productive at work.
Eat well during the day. This means eating a healthy diet including energy-giving foods like oatmeal, whole grain oats, almonds, yogurt, dried fruits and salmon. Even pasta is good for a quick energy boost. Athletes eat spaghetti in order to give them energy before a game.
Reduce your stress during the day and at night. Especially at night it is good to watch some light TV, not something very violent or troubling in order to get a good rest. Also, try to reduce the amount of stress that you have during the day by avoiding stressful situations when you can, or dealing with them in a better manner when you do have to deal with them. For instance, if there is a difficult work assignment which you have to complete for work, breaking up the job into smaller pieces or delegating out parts of it, may help make the job more manageable and therefore less stressful. If you work under constant deadlines, then setting aside a set amount of time to work on an assignment or project for work and then giving yourself a break may help to manage the stress. Not only will you be allowing yourself time to relax and return to your work refreshed but you are allowing your body to destress and this helps it to destress later in the day when it is time for bed.
Take an hour or close to an hour for lunch and take at least 10 minutes to wind down right before going to bed. Again, this helps to give your body some down time which reduces stress and lets it know that it is time to rest. Doing these activities on a regular basis can help you maintain good sleep routine and improve your life.
References:
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20070302/sleep-deprivation-blurs-moral-judgment
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20060721/poor-sleep-hurts-job-satisfaction
http://www.qualityhealth.com/eating-nutrition-articles/10-foods-give-you-energy
http://www.umm.edu/sleep/sleep_hyg.htm
Posted with STEMGeeks