One of the primary factors that controls your success in life is developing good habits and shedding the bad ones. As human beings, we all require a fair bit of motivation to make sure that we put in the effort to carry on this healthy process. However, people suffering with sleep deprivation can have a hard time achieving that. For an instance, good habits like waking up early, exercising regularly, and having a balanced diet can become increasingly difficult when you do not get enough sleep. To understand why that happens, let us go through some of the ways in which sleep can affect our motivation and habits.
#01 Productivity
Our motivation levels may vary a lot a depending on the response we get from our work. A good night of sleep ensures enhanced ability to focus and learn new things which in turn decides how efficiently we are able to carry our tasks. When we are able to finish a task within an estimated time and without a lot of errors, our motivation to do it in the future increases. For example, if we decide to begin practicing an aerobic activity such as cycling but end up injuring ourselves in the process, our motivation to carry on with the activity can greatly be reduced. On the other hand, if you are able to emerge unfazed after completing a lap in less than the estimated time, it can heavily boost your morale and make you want to do it again.
#Stress
Stress can be called as the number one hurdle that comes between you and a healthy way of living. A quality sleep ensures that the stress hormone called cortisol is kept at a balanced level so as to provide alertness during the day and relaxation in the night. You can say goodbye to your plans of maintaining a healthy diet when you have accumulated stress as it can cause an unbalance between the hormones that control your appetite. Moreover, stress is often associated with cravings for food which are rich in fats and sugar such as ice cream, chips, chocolate, etc.
The relation between stress and sleep deprivation is mutually dependent which is why you should work to combat both of them together. Perform soothing bedtime habits that calm your mind and body before retiring to bed such as journal keeping, reading a book, taking a warm shower, etc. It is important to remove stress at the earliest lest it leads to other health problems such as anxiety and depression. Check out these verified tips on learning to sleep well when you have depression.
#03 Daytime Drowsiness
Daytime drowsiness can make you feel uncomfortable and disoriented throughout the day if you haven’t received enough sleep on the night before. Most sleep experts will recommend a sleeping period of 7 to 9 hours but the exact amount of time you need to spend sleeping depends on your age. Feeling sleepy during the day also has a negative impact on your alertness and memory recalling which makes it further hard to regularly follow healthy habits like eating breakfast, staying hydrated, doing bedtime yoga, etc. It can also lead to excessive daytime napping which is not only a poor habit but also a precursor to difficulty falling asleep.
A recent study published in the journal Sleep found that the urge to fall asleep can combat with other motivations thus diminishing the drive required to carry on with other important tasks throughout the day. While a lot of people depend on caffeinated drinks to alleviate their drowsiness in the day, it is recommended that you keep yourself away from caffeine after sundown as it can interfere with your circadian rhythm which controls your sleep-wake cycle.
#04 Fatigue
Sleep is the natural process of your body to get rid of the tiredness accumulated throughout the day. It helps to repair tissues and increases the body’s ability to counter injuries and illnesses. Therefore, not getting enough quality sleep the night before can make it harder for your body to put in the energy required to perform healthy fitness habits such as jogging, swimming, brisk walking, etc. Fatigue and body pain can also result from an old and worn out mattress that does not support the body weight and the natural alignment of the spine. Check out the best collection of comfortable and supportive mattresses suitable to all body types on Inside Bedroom. A tired person is less likely to care about keeping up with his fitness schedule than someone who is well-rested by virtue of a good night’s sleep. It is therefore no wonder that athletes give so much stress on a restful sleep before competing in a sporting event.
#05 Creativity
The creative part of your brain can take a back seat when you are not receiving ample sleep. Not only do you find it difficult to think of new and innovative ideas, you may also suffer to recollect the preexisting creative thinking that you displayed earlier. Adopt tips for better sleep as a part of your everyday lifestyle as the amount of REM sleep your body receives is directly connected to your ability to solve problems and generate new solutions. Waking up early and performing a round of mindful meditation or yoga can help you concentrate and use your brain more effectively.
#06 Mood
Waking up after a poor night of sleep makes you feel groggy and irritated for the entire day. In such an impaired state of mental functioning, maintaining a healthy habit is unimaginable. Nine out of ten times, an irritated person may lack the drive for an evening stroll or mustering the motivation to make your bed after getting up. What begins as lighter bouts of negative feelings like anger, grief, and frustration, may develop into visible behavioral changes and mood disorders if the sleep deprivation persists for longer periods.
Bottom line:
A fast-paced modern lifestyle increases your exposure to LED screens and decreases the amount of time that you can reserve for yourself. It is therefore the need of the hour to adopt healthy habits and maintain a good level of sleep motivation that helps you to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing despite your workload and gadget dependency.