 | Written on 8/25/2008 by Eric Hamm, a technology consultant with a passion for helping others improve their lives through his blog Motivate Thyself. | Photo Credit: Betsssssy |
There are two gifts I want to give you right now: more time and better sleep. To do this I will need your complete attention and an open mind. It's really not that hard but it does require a little self discipline, some patience and a willingness to make a few changes in your life.
Many people believe that the more time you spend sleeping, the more rested your body becomes. Well, this is often not the case. Our body sleeps in multiple cycles throughout the night, each one essential and each one very easily interrupted. Every time you find yourself tossing and turning, waking up to go to the bathroom or just being woken up, you are interrupting one of these sleep cycles and detracting from their effectiveness.
So the key is not MORE sleep but BETTER sleep.
There's no doubt that you need a certain amount of sleep every night to be healthy. 3 hours of even the best sleep would not be enough for any human being. But what if I were to tell you that you could feel more rested than you ever have before and, here's the kicker, knock 30 minutes to an hour off of the time you spend 'trying to sleep'. It's one of those 'best of both world' scenarios but, as I stated before, it will require you to take action and make the changes necessary to obtain this precious gift.
So let's get to it. Here are the elements you will have to consider:
- Diet
Eating a well balanced, healthy diet will not only help you live longer but it will help you feel better throughout the day. You should eat a good balance of complex carbs, meat and vegetable protein (of course no meat if you are a vegetarian) and fruits and vegetables. Try to eat light meals with small snacks in between. Adjust according to your activity level but try to keep it on the lighter side if possible.
The 3 meals a day idea is outdated. Too much time between meals allows your blood sugar to drop too low and leaves you hungry and craving simple carbohydrates like sugar and white flower. When you finally eat the meal, you will end up eating too much. Depending on when you eat dinner and when you go to sleep you may benefit from a light snack about 1 to 1 and a half hours before bed. They should be foods with a balance of carbs, fat and protein. Some examples are an apple with peanut butter, celery with peanut butter or light yogurt (light on sugar as well as fat) with a little granola. Try this if you think your blood sugar might be crashing in the middle of the night.
- Blood Sugar
Your blood sugar plays a crucial role in helping you not only sleep better but have a consistently positive outlook. You blood sugar is mostly affected by simple carbs.
If you eat a bunch of sugar, your blood sugar will spike and you will have a quick burst of energy; this is short lived. Anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours your blood sugar starts to quickly drop and you will feel tired. You may even start to feel irritable and/or depressed (This is why maintaining a consistent blood sugar level is crucial for a positive outlook). This is called a crash and it is something that often happens to people in the middle of the night. Do you ever wake up in a hot sweat. Or do you ever wake up at an odd hour and feel wide awake. Chances are this is the result of you blood sugar crashing.
- Hydration
Water to our bodies is like oil to an engine. It keeps everything running clean and smooth. First thing in the morning is usually when our bodies are the most dehydrated so it is important to drink a glass or two of water right when you get up.
Many people skip breakfast because they're not hungry or don't have time. This lack of hunger is usually the result of dehydration. And since breakfast is the most important meal of the day it is important that you eat and drink before you start your day. If you can, stay away from sodas and other 'water alternatives'. Loaded with caffeine, sodium and sugar, these drinks do the opposite of hydrate. Stop drinking fluids at least 4 hours before you go to bed. This might sound hard to do but if you are staying hydrated throughout the day you should be just fine. The purpose of doing this is so you don't have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
- State of mind
Your state of mind plays a big role in being able to sleep deeply. If you go to bed with any kind of worry, anxiety, fear, sadness, even positive stimulation, you will have a hard time falling into a deep sleep. I find that reading a light book 30 minutes before you turn out the lights is a great way to 'turn off' your brain. You may even find that your eyes grow heavy as you try to read. The goal is to go to sleep quickly and you can't do this if you try to go from a stimulated brain to the pillow without down time in between.
- Exercise
One of the absolute best things you can do for yourself as well as your sleep is to exercise. Even a 15 to 20 minute jog or brisk walk everyday will not only improve your ability to sleep soundly throughout the night, but it will enhance your mood throughout the day. Depending on your fitness level these numbers may be different so adjust accordingly. If you don't exercise on a regular basis you cannot expect to get the kind of sleep that we are talking about today.
- Bed time - Wake time
Try to go to be and get up at the same times everyday. Over time this will set your internal clock so you will be tired when you should be tired and wake up when you want to wake up. As you decide when to sleep and wake you can look at the possibility of cutting down on sleep time. Using myself as an example let me explain what I mean.
I used to 'need' 8 hours of sleep each day. Even then I felt tired during the day. After I started doing the things listed here I was unable to sleep for more than about 7 hours a night. Yet I would have much more energy and feel better than ever. What I determined was that those 8 hours were not 8 SOLID HOURS of sleep. Whereas the 7 hours I'm getting now are a FULL 7 hours of sleep. THIS IS THE KEY!
- Environment
Having the right environment to sleep in is also very important. Try to block out as much light as possible (make sure the sun doesn't wake you up before you want to get up.) Make sure that you aren't too hot or too cold. Have a little 'white noise' if necessary (my wife an I sleep with fan blowing all night). Even consider ambient music. We also play a ambient CD in the background every night and it helps set the mood for rest and relaxation.
- Routine
They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit. Give this at least a full month before you make any decisions of whether or not you want to continue. It will also take some time to completely adjust to the specific sleep patterns and whatever else you change because of this list. But once you adjust you should be able to fairly easily maintain it and reap the full benefits.
- Satisfaction
Make sure you are enjoying the benefits that come from having more time and more energy. Take advantage of the extra time and use it to do things that you used to only wish you could do. Work on a project, set some new goals, or just relax and have some 'you time'. The more you appreciate this new routine the more likely you will continue to do it.
- Helping others
The final step and a great way to 'keep it up' is to help others do the same. If you find that this information really helps you sleep better, feel better and have more time during the day, than the best thing you can do is to share this with others. As you help other people learn these steps you will strengthen your resolve to continue them yourselves. At the same time you will be helping someone else experience the same benefits.
I hope you really read through these steps and gave them some thought. It's a lot to take in and may require a lot of changes. If the end result is a healthier, happier, more productive 'you' then it will be well worth it.
Eric
译文:
当减少床上睡眠时间，如何睡得更好？
作者埃里克写于2008年8月25日，一个热情的技术顾问借助博克（激发你自己）来帮助他人过得更好。
我有两个礼物想马上送给你：更多的时间和更好的睡眠。要做到此，我需要你全神贯注和虚心。其实并不难，但是确实要求你来点自我训练，一些耐心和乐于让生活有些改变。
很多人认为睡得越多，休息的就更好。其实，并不是这样。我们的身体睡觉时整晚都进行多个睡眠周期，每个睡眠周期都重要并易被打扰。每当你翻来覆去，起来上厕所或醒来的时候，你就中断了这些睡眠周期并且使其降低效率。因此重要的不是有更多的睡眠，而是更好的睡眠.
毫无疑问你每晚需要一定的睡眠时间保持健康。 即便是3个小时最佳的睡眠对任何一个人都是不够的。 但若我将告诉你，你能比以前任何时候都休息的更好，并且，这是要领，减少30分钟到1小时你花费‘ 设法睡觉’的时间。 这是‘有利无弊'的，但如同我前面所说，它将要求你采取行动和必要的改变来得到这珍贵的礼物。
好的我们开始。 下面是你必须考虑的要素：
1. 饮食
饮食要均匀，健康饮食不仅将帮助你长寿，也能使你日间感到更好。 你应该平衡好碳水化合物，肉，蔬菜蛋白质(当然没有肉，如果您是素食主义者)，水果和蔬菜。 设法中间吃些小零食当便餐。 根据您的活动程度调整，如果可以的话尽量吃易于消化的。
每日三餐的想法已过时。 两餐之间时隔太久会造成你的血糖太低，让你饥饿并热衷的简单的碳水化合物象糖和白花。 当您最后吃膳食，将导致你吃太多。 按照你的晚餐时间和就寝时间，你可以睡觉前每隔1个或1个半小时吃些易于消化的零食。食物必须保糖、脂肪和蛋白质平衡。 有些例子是一个苹果和花生酱，芹菜和花生酱或酸奶(糖和油脂少一些)与少许格兰诺拉麦片。 尝试此，如果你认为您的血糖也许半夜骤降。
2. 血糖
你的血糖在不仅对良好睡眠起着重要作用，而且对保持良好的外型也同样起作用。 您血糖主要是受糖的影响。
如果您吃一些糖，您的血糖将升高，并且马上有能量; 这只是短暂的。 无论何处，从30分钟到几小时你的血糖开始迅速下降，并且您将感到疲乏。 您可能甚而开始感觉急燥并且/或者沮丧(这就是为什么维持血糖稳定是保持良好形象的关键)。这称之为一次骤降，并且它通常在半夜经发生在人身上的事。 你有过醒来满身热汗。 或你曾突然醒来并感到完全清醒。 这样的时候就是血糖骤降的结果。
3. 水合作用
水和我们的身体好比油和引擎。 它保持一切运作的干净和顺畅。 通常一大早是我们的身体最缺水，因此起床后喝一两杯水是重要的。
许多人不吃早餐，因为不饿或没有时间。 这种缺缺乏饥饿通常是失水造成的。 因为早餐是最重要的日餐，所以开始新的一天之前，吃早餐尤为重要。 如果可以的话，远离苏打和其他含咖啡因，钠和糖份的水，这些饮料会让人脱水。至少睡觉前4个小时不要喝东西。 这也许听起很难做到，但如果你白天保持水分，那么就没问题。如此做的目的是，你就可以避免半夜去卫生间。
4. 心情
您的心情对熟睡起着重要作用。如果你睡觉的时候参杂着苦恼，忧虑，恐惧，悲伤，甚至正面的刺激，你都将难以入眠。 我发现在关灯前30分钟读一本轻松的书是“关闭”大脑的好方法。 你甚至可以感觉当你要读书的时候你的眼皮发沉。如此作的目的是马上入眠，如果你想在刺激状态入睡，这不会奏效。
5. 锻炼
你能为自己做的一件绝佳的事就是为自己和睡眠运动。 每天15到20分钟的漫跑或轻松漫步不但可以使你夜间睡得更熟，而且会使你白天心情更好。根据你的健康水平，锻炼时间也许是不同的，因此做相应地调整。 如果你不保持有规律的运动，那么你也别期望会得到我们今天谈论的这种睡眠。
6. 睡觉时间-苏醒时间
设法每天睡觉和起床的时间保持一致。这将随着时间的推移使你产生生物钟，你会在该疲乏的时候疲乏，该醒的时候想起床。因为你决定睡觉和起床时间，所以你可以减少睡眠时间。以我为例，我来解释一下我的意思。
我曾经每天‘需要’ 8个小时睡眠。 既使这样，我白天也感觉疲乏。在我开始做我在这里列出的事项后，我无法晚上睡7个小时以上。 目前我有更多能量并且感觉比以往更好。 我确定这8个小时不是8个小时的纯粹睡眠。 而现在的这7个小时，我得到是一个充分的7个小时睡眠。 这是答案!
7. 环境
良好的环境对睡觉也是非常重要。 设法多遮蔽外面的光线(确定在你想起来之前太阳不会把你弄醒。) 确保你不是太热或太冷。 如果需要来点‘空白噪声’ (我的妻子和我整夜开风扇睡觉)。也要考虑四周的音乐。 我们在每晚也播放CD，它会使你心情安宁和放松。
8. 惯例
他们说人需要21天创造新的习性。 至少给一个月，在您做出任何决定之前是否您想要继续。 你也将需要一段时间对具体睡眠样式完全地调整。 但一旦你调整你应该可以非常容易的保持并且坚持到底。
9. 满意
确定您享受来自有更多时间和更多能量的好处。 利用额外时间并且使用它做您曾经只祝愿的事您可能做。 来个计划，树立些目标，或者者请放松并且有一些‘你的时间’。 你越是喜欢这个新的惯例，您越可能继续做到。
10. 帮助其他
最后一步和一个很棒方式‘保留它’就是帮助其他人做同样的事。如果您觉得这信息帮助你睡得更好，感到更好并且日间有更多时间，那么能做的最棒的事情就是与其他人分享。 因为你帮助其他人学会这些，你将加强你的决继续坚持。 同时您帮助别人体验同样的好处。
我希望你彻底的读这些步骤并且好好考虑。你需要投入很多并且要求你做很多改变。 如果最终结果是更加健康的，更加愉快，更加有益于你，那么它就是值得的。
埃里克