Let’s face it, with the long hours, high demand work and on call commitments, enough good quality sleep has been elusive for many veterinarians.
I see a lot of people needing lots of caffeine to get them going and alcohol to wind them down. All this does is have your body switched ‘on’, which is exhausting, and then ‘dulled’, which doesn’t result in good quality rest.
For the last few months, I have been taking online classes towards completing my Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology with The Flourishing Center in New York. The 2 hours classes are held 2 days a week. The problem is they are held in the morning, US time, which is at 1am Brisbane time.
I’m sleep deprived and I feel like a zombie at times. It brings back memories of when the kids where young and my memory was shot! I try and get a few hours sleep before the class starts but when it’s finished I’m so wired, I’m not getting back to sleep until 3am to 4am.
I totally understand why being sleep deprived is like driving under the influence. Your responses are dulled, your mood is pretty average, your ability to cope with stress is reduced and your productivity and performance is reduced.
Before I started the classes, I ensured I had good sleep habits and I was getting a good nights sleep every night. Wow, it made such a difference to my mood, my memory & my ability to learn.
You need good quality sleep and you need at least 7-9 hours every night. It’s not just 7 hours of sleeping but your sleep needs to be good quality, restorative sleep.
You need at least 5 x 90 minute sleep cycles to ensure that your body and brain is rested, restored and rearing to go the next day. It has been found when you are asleep, your CSF is eliminating toxic metabolites from your brain. If you aren’t sleeping well, this doesn’t happen.
The 5th sleep cycle is responsible for the most REM sleep & when neurogenesis occurs.
How many times have you woken after having 7 hours of sleep but still felt horrid? It most likely wasn’t good quality, restorative sleep.
There are 3 issues people have with sleep. They either can’t get to sleep, they wake in the middle of the night or they wake early.
You must have good sleep hygiene.
- avoid caffeine late in the afternoon or at night
- avoid the light from devices 1 hour before going to bed
- develop a routine so your body is ready to sleep
- consider meditation to calm your mind and body
- learn to switch your mind off before bed, especially if you worry or ruminate
- ensure you have a good quality, comfortable mattress and pillows
- avoid external light sources that don’t allow your room to be dark
When you wake in the morning, exposing yourself to natural light is important. It helps to drop your melatonin levels and will spike your serotonin levels. This will set you up for a better nights sleep the next night.
If you’ve had an week of average night’s sleep, then make sure you catch up on the weekend. Book in that afternoon nap!
The next article will focus on exercise and it’s importance for your wellbeing.
Natasha
