Strategies for when you cannot sleep well: short naps, natural light and taking care of the quality of sleep

You always read and hear that it is essential to get enough sleep, but there are times when the blissful eight hours of sleep seem to be impossible, be it because the baby is hungry in the middle of the night or because the alarm goes off for the early shift at work.

There are endless reasons that make us lose sleep, and many times they cannot be avoided. But then how do we survive the week when it’s impossible to sleep well? Is lack of sleep harmful to health?

“Breastfeeding time, flexible shift work, etc. They are life situations that run counter to what should be a healthy habit of alternating between hours of sleep and being awake”, says Dr. Ingo Fietze, director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Sleep Medicine at the Charité Clinic in Berlin.

Anyway, Lack of sleep has detrimental effects on long-term health only when it occurs for periods of more than five years. If that lack of sleep is prolonged, increases the risk of suffering from diabetes or that the circulatory system is affected.

Strategy 1: a nap is very good

In times of little night sleep, the ideal is to take advantage of every possibility: downshift as soon as the situation allows it and, if necessary, why not take a little nap.

“Sleeping five, ten or maybe 15 minutes can be enough to recover and be well for another three or four hourssays Fietze. It is not necessary to have a sofa close at hand: the good effects of a short nap can also be had by sleeping sitting up.

Dora Triché, director of the Sleep Laboratory at the Nuremberg Clinic, even recommends that parents of babies stop doing other things and prioritize those little naps. “You don’t have to take advantage of the little time to clean the floor or put the washing machine. When the baby falls asleep, one should take the opportunity to sleep”.

Of course: even if one’s eyes are falling from fatigue, one must not forget to set the alarm clock. It is better not to sleep more than 30 or 40 minutes, and it is better to do it before 5:00 p.m. if you want to sleep well later, at night. If not, what should be a help may end up being a torment because it does not allow you to fall asleep later.

Strategy 2: charge light and fresh air

Another good method against fatigue is to move outdoors. Triché recommends leaving the house shortly after waking up. And do it without sunglasses, since sunlight inhibits the secretion of melatonin, which is known as one of the factors that set the rhythm of sleep.

Going out makes one “automatically more awake,” says the specialist. Those who want to stay awake indoors should ensure that they have good lighting. “The more light, the better,” says Fietze.

Strategy 3: help with caffeine

Of course drinking a cup of coffee can help you stay awake.although it is not the best option to be quickly in full.

Fietze points out that, like all hot or warm infusions, coffee also has a drowsy effect at first. The “awakening” effect of coffee occurs about 30 minutes after drinking it, and lasts for approximately seven hours.

Anyway, neither coffee nor energy drinks are a lasting solution to make up for a sleep deficit.

Strategy 4: increase the quality of sleep

It is better to pay attention to sleep hygiene. “Precisely at times when one can sleep little due to external factors, it becomes extremely important to have a quality sleepsays Triche.

Here it helps to have a pleasant and rather cool temperature in the room, a noise-free space and avoid consuming alcohol or heavy meals before going to bed.

Both of these things can disturb sleep. Giving it your all and physically exhausting yourself before going to sleep is not a good idea either.to “because the body releases stress hormones and cannot sleep very well”, Triché points out.

Strategy 5: organize the times well

As far as possible, it would be important to maintain the usual rhythm of sleep even in phases of high stress. For this reason, Fietze recommends to those who work at night or at dawn that, When the weekend comes, participate as usual in family life and don’t continue to sleep in during the day just because that’s how you do in the week.

The specialist assures that it is better to lash out against tiredness and lie down at night to sleep. “As long as one sleeps normally and rests well on days off or on vacation, the world is in order.”says the researcher. When that gets messy, it is good to consult a specialist. But there is good news: although you cannot sleep “in advance”, it is possible to catch up on sleep, at least to some degree.

And the elderly?

Not falling asleep until late at night and wanting to go back to bed in broad daylight can be demoralizing in the long run. And become a vicious circle. Do you feel permanently tired in the afternoon? Especially for older people, who often have more restless sleep at night, a long nap is attractive.

It’s a bit cruel: precisely at an age where you can finally sleep maybe later because the alarm clock shouldn’t go off first thing in the morningThis is precisely what is particularly difficult.

At older age, the deep sleep phases are shorter and overall sleep is more susceptible to disturbance. For that reason, older people wake up more frequently during the night than during their younger years. Nevertheless, It’s not that they need less sleep. Also here the rule is valid that it should not be less than six hours a day.

If fatigue tortures us during the day, one should not lie down to rest for more than 20 minutes.

Why, In order to have a good night’s rest that recovers us, it is important to limit sleep times during the day, indicates the German information portal for the elderly Verbraucher60plus. Long naps during the day can lead to worse sleep at night and less overall time.

Despite the tiredness and the fact that sleep did not work well the night before, it is crucial to stay active.

An attitude of protection and withdrawal from activities and contacts could lead to impaired sleep and general well-being.