Are you Sleeping Enough? An Investigation into Sleeping Better!

It is 8 in the morning on a weekday and you’ve just turned off the alarm for the fifth time. You stumble out of bed, get ready and rush to work—barely making it in time for the 9:15 AM cut-off! You’re puffy-eyed, irritable and with a splitting headache—until you’ve had your first few doses of caffeine, which puts you back into the grind. If this sounds like you nearly every day of the week, you’re definitely not having a good morning!

An average individual needs at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Sleeping well each night will help you to wake up refreshed, stay healthy, alert and highly productive at work. With working from home becoming the new normal and work timings now stretching to encapsulate an entire day, sleep is possibly the last thing on our minds. The pressures of work and family keep us awake for longer than ever before and we’re consistently missing the “sweet spot” of getting 8 hours of sleep each night.

At Sanrai, we take sleep health seriously. We decided to analyse and figure out what could cause people to miss out on a good night’s rest consistently enough to cause problems during the workday. We interviewed most of our employees about their workday over a period of one month. Here’s what we found:

1. Over-dependence on stimulants

Most individuals who suffer from a lack of sleep tend to depend on stimulants such as coffee or tea to stay focused and concentrate on their work. Although drinking tea or coffee is not bad—but using them as a substitute for adequate rest is a problem. A caffeine boost will fix that headache for sure, but will it help you in the long-term? Sadly, it will not. Dependence on caffeine will only cause consumption and dependence rates to go up, making you crave for one last cup even around bedtime. This will keep you up for longer, further reducing the amount of time you spend in deep sleep.

Solution: A good way to feel energetic is to avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee or nicotine at least 3-4 hours before going to bed. Additionally, getting up and about for as little as five minutes every hour can help you relax, unwind and rejuvenate. Set an alarm to get up and about every hour for at least two minutes. This will improve circulation, get you some exercise and take your mind off work, making you feel relaxed and refreshed.

2. An unhealthy diet

An unhealthy diet has become commonplace these days. With individuals reducing the amount of healthier alternative to snacks such as fruits or nuts with easily available junk food such as soft drinks, chips and biscuits, we’re moving towards obesity faster than ever before. Additionally, snacking leads to overeating, which causes you to feel bloated and will not allow you to sleep in time.

Solution: Switch to a healthier, well-balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, pulses and nuts. Snack on sprouts or nuts if you must. Additionally, a large meal must be at least 3 to 4 hours before bedtime, ensuring that you can walk about, spend some quality time with yourself or your family and then get a good night’s rest.

3. Binge-watching movies or TV shows

As the lockdown forced people indoors, many resorted to passing their time by binge-watching tv shows or movies late into the night. This caused an unusual rise in dopamine levels in the brain, disrupting our sleep patterns, causing us to constantly lose out on sleep and waking up groggy or with a headache the next morning.

Solution: Avoid stimulating activities such as watching TV until you fall asleep at night time. Establish a wind-down time and spend this time doing relaxing activities such as talking to friends or family members, reading a book (not on a backlit device, but an actual book), meditating or any other activity you fancy. Allow yourself some quiet time and do not sleep with your phone on your bedside table.

4. Lack of exercise

A sedentary lifestyle is the first step towards insomnia. As we increasingly sit around peering at our mobile phones, we lose out on physical exercise which is naturally conducive to a good night’s sleep. However, it is important to note that exercising too close to bedtime can actually make it difficult to fall asleep.

Solution: Exercise every morning if you can. If you do not have time in the morning, try to shift your exercise regimen at least 4 hours before bedtime to allow yourself time to cool down, relax and get tired enough to fall asleep. If you feel the need to do some light exercise before sleeping, try to go for a short, leisurely walk or stretch a bit.

5. Health conditions such as sleep apnea

Many of us snore every night. Snoring is a symptom of illnesses such as Sleep Apnea. A common image of sleep apnea in our minds are usually of overweight individuals who snore, but sleep apnea can potentially afflict all individuals regardless of age and gender. Obstructive Sleep Apnea reduces the amount of oxygen in your lungs, causing you to wake up repeatedly while sleeping. Sleep Apnea is often cited as being a precursor to potentially life-threatening diseases such as hypertension and Type II Diabetes.

Solution: Get a sleep study from a sleep specialist. You can easily relieve sleep apnea with some lifestyle adjustments such as sleeping on a different side or losing weight. Additionally, you can also be prescribed devices such as CPAP machines that help you sleep well throughout the night.

Our investigation helped us understand that boosting employee productivity required us to take a proactive approach and help them understand how they can adjust their lifestyle to be at their best. Making small lifestyle changes such as moderate to light exercise, getting up and about every now and then, reducing reliance on stimulants and junk food go a long way in ensuring a healthier and happier life.

If you believe that you or your partner are suffering from a lack of sleep or sleep apnea, do not hesitate to give us a call. Our world-class sleep specialists will help you to find out the root cause of your problem and will put you on a path to getting a good night’s rest in no time.

Innovative global medical product providers such as Sanrai can help you get access to quality products, timely service, and a world-class sleep support system that is there for you when you need it the most.