How to Reset Your Sleep Schedule?

Do you know getting enough sleep is vital to your life? Herein is what to know about sleep routines; why does the routine matter, how does a sleep routine get thrown off, and the best tips for resetting your sleep schedule.

Adults must have seven to nine hours of sleep every night to maintain their physical and mental health, and they must obtain the required amount of sleep every night. Developing a healthy sleep scheme is one of the greatest methods to increase the likelihood of obtaining consistent sleep. Foster (2020) noted that the mind and the body could acclimate to a pattern that includes sufficient amounts of exclusive sleep by adhering to an orderly schedule and practicing a healthy sleeping routine. Various situations can disrupt a regular sleeping pattern. When this occurs, the times of going to bed and getting up can be all over the place. Below is how you rest your schedule:

Why Does Sleep Routine Matter?

You are frequently referred to as creatures of habit because you are conditioned to unique behavior patterns by the recurrence of specific cues and responses. In various facets of day-to-day living, including sleeping, routines can help make actions feel almost entirely automatic. Establishing and sticking to a regular pattern of healthy sleep habits makes it much simpler to acquire the amount of restful sleep you require regularly. Ferber (2006) commented that falling asleep fast and remaining asleep throughout the night can become the norm by developing habits and cues that favor sleep. The more often a habit is performed, the more ingrained it becomes, which ultimately makes for more consistent sleep patterns.

How does a Sleep Routine Schedule gets Thrown Off?

Many different factors might throw off a person's standard sleeping patterns and circadian rhythms, including the following:

The phenomenon is known as "jet lag" is caused by rapid travel across many time zones and happens when the body's internal clock is out of sync with the day-night cycle at the travel destination. Jet lag is commonly associated with transcontinental flights.

People who work night shifts are required to be awake when it is dark and sleep when the sun is out, disrupting their bodies' natural ability to synchronize their circadian rhythms with the 24-hour day.

Timing of advanced or delayed sleep often referred to as their sleep phase, is advanced or delayed by several hours. These people are either severe "early birds" or extreme "night owls," respectively.

Artificial Light Exposure

Before the invention of electricity, biologically speaking, the circadian cycle adjusted itself to correspond to daylight hours. However, since the brain can respond to both natural and artificial light, consistent exposure to artificial light sources such as indoor lighting and electronic devices can disrupt the standard signals that the body receives to determine whether it is day or night.

Variable Amounts of Time Spent Sleeping

Many people do not adhere to a regular bedtime or wake-up time. Because of this, it is difficult for them to establish a regular sleep pattern because their routine for going to bed and getting up can change drastically from one day to the next or from weekdays to weekends.

The decision to engage in activities such as studying, playing sports, or participating in social events that require you to stay up late or wake up early might throw off typical sleep routines.

Caffeine and Energy Drinks

Hall et al. (2005) established that stimulants might make you feel more awake. Still, they can also disrupt the body's natural capacity to maintain a healthy balance between sleep and wakefulness, making it more challenging to fall asleep when one needs to.

Tension and Mental and Emotional Challenges

Stress, worry, despair, and other emotional or mental health issues are often at the root of sleeping disorders. These situations might lead the mind to race when it is time for sleep or produce tiredness during the day when you should be awake, which can derail your aspirations of maintaining a consistent and healthy sleep habit.

Best Tips for Resetting Your Sleep Schedule

A healthy sleep regimen is comprised of several different components. A regular bedtime routine is an excellent place to start, but there are other things you can do to ensure you get the rest you require.

Maintain a Good Sleep Hygiene

Gruber et al. (2014) suggested that maintaining good sleep hygiene is essential to a productive sleep regimen. One of the most important aspects of good sleep hygiene is ensuring that your daily routines and your sleeping environment are favorable to sleep and help you get a good night's rest.

Get Your Recommended Amount of Natural Light Every Day

Exposure to natural light can encourage greater synchronization7 of your circadian cycle since daylight is vital to your circadian rhythm. It is because daylight is a vital influence on your circadian rhythm.

Dim the Nighttime Artificial Lights As Much As Possible

Leaving the lights on for a significant portion of the evening can inhibit your body from making the appropriate transition into sleep mode. If you want to reduce the amount of light emitted within your home, you might try using lamps with lower wattages or a dimmer.

Reduce the Time You Spend In Front Of the TV or Computer at Night

The blue light emitted by cell phones and other electronic devices, which can throw off one's circadian rhythm, is a source of excessive mental stimulation. If you want to avoid the harmful effects that screen time might have on sleep, try to refrain from using your laptop, tablet, or phone for at least one hour before going to bed.

Commit To Regular Physical Activity

It is beneficial for your cardiovascular health and can also improve the quality of your sleep. Even light physical activity, like a walk, can be healthy, and it's a fantastic opportunity to get some exposure to daylight. You don't have to be a triathlon to enjoy these benefits; you don't even need to be a runner. If you put a lot of effort into your workout, you should attempt to get it over with at least one hour before you go to bed.

Establish a Ritual before Bedtime

In routines, cues that are always the same might have a significant psychological impact. For this reason, try to follow the same actions each night before bed, such as lowering the lights, reading quietly or stretching quietly, putting on pajamas, and brushing your teeth. It will help you get into a routine that will help you fall asleep faster. After some time, those behaviors will develop into indicators that it is time for you to go to sleep.

Conclusion

Pulling an all-nighter doesn't build a better sleep regimen. If you don't get enough sleep, you may find that your thinking and focus are hindered the next day, which can put you in danger of being involved in an accident, including one that could put your life in danger, like a car crash. This article has provided an outline of a better sleep routine. It’s not a strict guideline but it will help whoever is concerned to attain better sleeping patterns.

References

Foster, R. G. (2020). Sleep, Circadian Rhythms And Health. Interface Focus, 10(3), 20190098.

Ferber, R. (2006). Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: New, Revised. Simon And Schuster.

Gruber, R., Carrey, N., Weiss, S. K., Frappier, J. Y., Rourke, L., Brouillette, R. T., & Wise, M. S. (2014). Position Statement On Pediatric Sleep For Psychiatrists. Journal Of The Canadian Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry, 23(3), 174.

Hall, K. M., Irwin, M. M., Bowman, K. A., Frankenberger, W., & Jewett, D. C. (2005). Illicit Use Of Prescribed Stimulant Medication Among College Students. Journal Of American College Health, 53(4), 167-174.