Read through the statements below and see which apply to you:
• I regularly experience problems falling asleep at ‘bed-time’
• I find it difficult to get up in the morning due to sleepiness
• I often feel drowsy during the day
• I regularly sleep less than what my body needs
• I use an alarm clock to wake in the morning
• I drink lots of caffeine containing drinks such as coffee or cola
• I often fall asleep early in the evenings for 2-4 hours
Chances are you can identify with many of these statements – most of us can! Over the last 100 years our finely tuned sleep patterns have been broken by alarm clocks, electric lighting, shift-work and any number of other modern inconveniences you can think of. The result is the disruption of a system that has formed over thousands of years – since the time humans first started to roam the planet. So, what has all this got to do with learning English? Well, an awful lot actually as sleep plays a critical physiological function and is vital for your intellectual development. In fact it is so important that those who fail to give the proper importance to sleep are unlikely to ever reach their full potential.
So what are the effects of lack of sleep?
Since the 1920s it has been known that sleep affects learning and memory recall. However, research by Robert Stickgold shows that sleep is necessary for learning and to be sleep deprived will lead to a reduction in the amount of information retained long-term. He concluded that by cutting down on sleep we:
• develop less and are less bright
• make worse decisions and are more prone to errors
• accomplish less as our productivity drops
It’s easy to see how the combination of factors given above will lead to a state where your potential remains unfulfilled.
What can you do about it?
Fortunately, there’s been lots of research carried out into the area of sleep. And those researchers have been kind enough to pass on their knowledge so you can get a good night’s sleep and maximise your potential.
There are some obvious factors that will affect the quality of your sleep, such as having a comfortable bed, a quiet room and being warm. But, below are some other things you might not have thought of that could help you get a better night’s sleep:
• leave at least 15-19 hours between the last and present night’s sleep – so if you get up at 7.00am you must not try to go back to sleep before 10.00pm that night
• if you are able, sleep as much as you need – once your body is ready you will wake up naturally
• do not use alarm clocks – they jolt you awake and affect your ability to learn and retain information during the day
• don’t try to fall asleep at a pre-planned time or quickly as it won’t happen – when your body is ready you will fall asleep naturally
• don’t drink caffeine before sleep or consume excessive alcohol during the day and, if you smoke, give it up!
• have a nap (20-30mins) in the day if you feel you need to
• once in bed, if it takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep you should get up, your body is not ready yet
• learn the details of your sleep by keeping a record of the time and number of hours you sleep. This can then be used to help you find the best times for you to go to sleep and wake
• don’t use products that are designed to make you artificially sleepy, such as sleeping pills, they will do more harm than good by disrupting your natural rhythms and make you feel even worse
Try these tips and you should find that you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day’s work.
If you have any tips for sleeping better do let me know.
