There are many reasons to have a sleepless night or enter a period of frequent sleep deprivation: you work shifts, you have a small baby, or simply a few holidays have accumulated. A survey by the mattress brand isleep, published on kakspim.bg, indicates that almost 76% of Bulgarians have sleep problems, and the average duration is 6 hours and 28 minutes, compared to the minimum recommendation of 7 hours.
Even one night of deprivation of quality (deep) sleep can affect you.
In numbers: 17 to 19 hours without sleep affect you in the same way as having 0.05% alcohol in your blood. Dizziness and lightheadedness can lead to accidents, worsen your physical fitness, deprive you of some memories, as your memory deteriorates, and even create false memories. Here's how you can help yourself after a sleepless night:
Eat healthy
A night without quality sleep can steer you towards the wrong food – you need energy, which your body tries to obtain in the fastest possible way – with carbohydrates. The truth is, you will indeed feel an energy boost if you reach for a croissant or pizza, but this energy will last only a short time, and after a few hours, not only will you feel tired, but you will be hungry again. The best choice to feel good after a sleepless night is fish or meat with salad/vegetables. As part of your lunch, you can choose salmon, avocado, olives, grilled meat, seafood, seeds, nuts, eggs, tofu, etc.
Use caffeine strategically
Although caffeine is not a substitute for sleep, it definitely gets you back in shape quickly. It is a perfectly acceptable part of a healthy diet as long as you don't overdo it. You can consume up to 400 milligrams a day, but keep in mind that this dose also includes caffeine in teas, soft drinks, and chocolate. How caffeine affects you also depends on factors such as whether you smoke or not: smokers metabolize caffeine significantly faster than non-smokers. Pregnant women, on the other hand, metabolize it more slowly than non-pregnant women.
One of the most important rules, whether you've had a sleepless night or not, is not to drink coffee at least 4 hours before sleep.
Try to be active
We know you'll probably want to catch up on sleep (which we do recommend with a nap), but find even 10 minutes for a brisk walk, exercise, jumping, running, or a quick Pilates session. You'll feel an instant surge of energy (and satisfaction). Our top recommendation is to get moving outdoors. Due to the circadian rhythm, our internal 24-hour clock reacts to sunlight and signals the brain that it's time for active wakefulness.
Quick nap
A quick nap that will give you energy, and won't make you wake up feeling even worse, is usually no more than 10-20 minutes. A 5-minute nap would be too short to recharge you, and a 30-minute one too long.
And the favorite place for a quick nap? On a quality mattress, preferably with memory foam, to fall asleep quickly and not feel tension in the body.
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