How to Develop A Sleep Schedule

Sleep is an essential part of the human body’s daily cycle. It takes up almost a third of our time every day and is necessary to keep a sharp mind and healthy body. However, a lot of individuals barely get enough sleep on a daily basis. This is why they aim to sleep longer and better, but it is not as easy as it sounds.

Sleeping early and on a regular basis may sound simple enough for some people, but when you factor in the fact that sleeping late at night has become a habit for so many people, sleeping early and regularly may be more difficult than one can imagine. This article will tackle the cause of irregular sleeping patterns along with methods on how to stick to a regular sleep schedule to improve one’s health in general. And if you want to learn about it, then continue reading the article to find out how.

Factors that cause irregular sleep patterns

Before delving into methods on how to follow a sleep schedule, it would do well to first diagnose the most common causes of irregular sleep patterns.

1. Too much schoolwork

Individuals who are most prone to having irregular sleep schedules are those who are still studying. This is due to dealing with a lot of schoolwork or studying. Schoolwork, especially those that take a lot of time to finish such as essays or presentations, are common activities that students have to face regularly.

These activities can take a lot of time to finish, leading to some students missing out on precious sleeping hours. Studying is also a major player in this issue as most students tend to burn the midnight oil when the tests are approaching.

2. Mobile addiction

Individuals who are most prone to having irregular sleep schedules are those who are still studying. This is due to dealing with a lot of schoolwork or studying. Schoolwork, especially those that take a lot of time to finish such as essays or presentations, are common activities that students have to face regularly.

These activities can take a lot of time to finish, leading to some students missing out on precious sleeping hours. Studying is also a major player in this issue as most students tend to burn the midnight oil when the tests are approaching.

3. Late-night activities

Another factor that might cause irregular sleep patterns is the occurrence of late-night activities. Some examples are going out at night to hang out with friends, binge-watching movies, or whatever activities that an individual does late at night.

These activities can also take a considerable amount of time from one’s sleep and can build up and become a habit which will ultimately lead to even more loss of sleep.

4. Health complications

There are also other factors that may cause irregular sleeping patterns that are entirely not an individual’s fault. An example of this is health complications such as insomnia, sleep apnea, or other sleep-related health complications.

These complications can be mitigated by taking prescription medications. However, when an individual is not aware of these conditions, they may end up losing sleep due to these complications without any way to counter them.

How to stick to a sleep schedule

Following a sleep schedule is a tedious task as what you are planning is to fight a common trend that your body has experienced and gotten used to over the past few months or years. These pointers are the best ways to stick to a sleep schedule and encourage the body to sleep regularly daily.

1. Take the temptations out of the equation

One of the best ways to follow a proper sleep schedule is to uproot the cause of the problem out of the equation. Those temptations being scrolling through any social media site, reading blogs, watching funny videos, and a lot of other activities that may cause someone to stay awake late at night.

A great example of how to limit the temptations out is to set an automatic on and off schedule for your mobile device or computer. This will automatically shut down your device at a designated time in order for you to get your well-needed rest.

2. Get some light

Man-made temptations aren’t the only causes that need to be considered in order to keep a healthy sleep schedule. There will be times when failure to stick to a sleep schedule is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. This is what the next tip is about.

Getting sunlight reduces or slows down the production of a chemical called melatonin, which is often produced in mass when a person is in dark areas. This chemical is responsible for causing an individual to feel sleepy. Getting enough sunlight allows the production of melatonin to be regulated. This means that an individual who gets enough sunlight only produces large amounts of melatonin when it is nighttime or when it is time to sleep as opposed to someone who stays in the dark all day and is constantly sleepy but never gets to the point of actually sleeping.

3. Don’t take long naps

While quick, 15-minute power naps are a great way to recharge an individual’s energy, long and frequent naps aren’t really advisable if an individual wishes to stick to a sleep schedule.

Taking long naps can affect an individual’s circadian rhythm and ultimately lead to them missing a few hours of sleep. Not to mention that waking up from a long nap can usually leave an individual feeling sour and grumpy for a few minutes after they have woken up.

4. Get your daily dose of exercise

Exercise is essential to the human body not only for it to stay physically fit and healthy, but also to help an individual sleep better. Exercise promotes proper blood flow and circulation amongst different body parts which may lead to a more comfortable sleep.

Exercise also uses a relatively large portion of energy and makes the body feel tired, factors that are a great way to induce sleepiness. This is due to the fact that the body now recognizes that it has spent a considerable amount of energy and is in need of recharging and rest.

5. Make sure to set the right conditions

An important note to take when one wants to stick to a sleep schedule is that a human being is very sensitive to their surroundings once they are asleep. This is why it is important to set the right conditions when one is trying to sleep in order to avoid waking up from any uncomfortable conditions.

Setting the right temperature that one finds most comfortable and making sure that there is minimal noise pollution are great ways to make an individual feel comfortable when trying to sleep.

It also helps to wear the clothing that suits one’s preference the most when trying to sleep at night. Sleeping in pajamas, nightgowns, causal clothes, or any piece of clothing that an individual prefers can greatly improve the chances of getting a good night’s sleep and sleeping on a schedule.

6. Try to relax before sleeping

Another great way to induce sleepiness in the night in order to stick to a sleep schedule is to try to find a way to relax before sleeping. Activities such as meditation or yoga are a great way to relax your muscle groups and promote a good flow of oxygen in the body.

This will also help in the drowsiness process as feelings of relaxation can often be accompanied or mistaken with feelings of sleepiness. Plus, it is also a great way to wake up early and invigorated the next day as the effects of the relaxation activities may still linger in the mornings.

7. Eat early

Most people eat dinner at around 8 in the evening as it is what has been the norm for the last few decades. However, some individuals tend to eat dinner later than that time due to certain circumstances such as a busy schedule, overtime, or spending too much time on other activities.

Eating heavy meals late into the night is not advisable if an individual wishes to sleep early and stick to a regular sleep schedule as this will hinder their ability to fall asleep. Digestion is an involuntary process that continues to occur in the body even when one is not conscious. However, the process of digestion slows down considerably when one is asleep which is why it is difficult to sleep with a full stomach as the body still needs to process and digest what one has ingested to avoid any indigestion or stomach complications.

8. Make it a habit

The final pointer we can give to help an individual stick to a sleep schedule is to make sleeping early a habit. Habits are a practice that an individual executes on a regular basis and is really hard to get rid of. And by making sleeping early a habit, one can expect their circadian rhythm and sleep schedules to be in sync with each other.

The fact that habits are really hard to get rid of also solidifies the need for it as sleeping early will become almost second nature to an individual. Just like how most individuals have made a habit of sleeping in late and irregularly, one should put in the effort to make a habit of sleeping early and on time for their own benefit.

Did you know that habits are formed by repeatedly doing an activity for at least 2 months? So, why not make studying a habit as well in order to get great grades. You can also supplement this habit by hiring a private tutor from Singapore’s leading home and online-based tutoring agency: FamilyTutor. With thousands of highly skilled tutors and a variety of private tuition in Singapore courses to choose from, expect nothing but the best from FamilyTutor.

Carelle

Carelle

Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.

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About FamilyTutor!

FamilyTutor is an established home tuition agency in Singapore! We match suitable home tutors for our clients not just to improve the students' academic grades, but also to build a strong rapport and meaningful relationship with the students and even the their whole family. FamilyTutor put every student in good hands!

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