What to do after a sleepless night

FREE hit counter and Internet traffic statistics from freestats.com

There are literally hundreds of things you can do to improve your sleep. But what do you do when it doesn’t work out - how do you act when you're in that sleepless zombie-like state? It's good to be prepared. After all, you can’t expect to sleep well every night. Even the very best sleepers have the occasional bad one. Learning to survive and effectively deal with tiredness the next day is important.

You can't let yourself cave in after a bad night’s sleep. However, it is of equal importance that you set up a realistic plan of action. Ask yourself – what am I capable of achieving today at best?

I have a number of rules for myself on “the day after”:
a) pick an effective strategy for improving your sleep the next night
b) keep yourself refreshed and active throughout the day.
c) whatever you do, don’t take any naps.

Here are ten things you can do to work towards these goals.

1. take a refreshing shower in the morning

2. read a book, and make sure you read fast

3. do some yoga/meditation

4. go for a brisk walk

5. learn to set limits for yourself – you can’t be superman when you’re sleep deprived.

6. stay in a cold environment (turn down the heat). This helps keep you more alert.

7. listen to some fast paced music

8. don’t overeat (especially in the evening), but eat plenty of fruits.

9. exercise early in the day (5-6 hrs before bedtime or in the morning)

10. spend the last two hours before bedtime relaxing (no TV or internet)

If you follow these guidelines, you can have a fairly productive day despite having slept badly. I’ve had a few days where I basically gave up and did nothing, but those were exceptions. Over time I’ve gained a better sense of what I’m capable of on days when I sleep badly. The key is to be easy on yourself, but at the same time not let yourself become inactive. Maintaining a cool environment has been especially important to me. If you’re too warm, this could easily induce drowsiness and make you feel lazy. If you’re in a fairly warm environment at work, it’s a good idea to go outside for a couple of deep breaths, perhaps once every 30 minutes.

The 10 ideas listed above are the ones that I use frequently myself. Let me know if you can think of more.