While pulling an all-nighter might sound like a good idea at the time, it can have a detrimental impact on your sleep hygiene long term.
What is sleep hygiene, exactly? Simply put, sleep hygiene refers to the practices and habits you put in place to ensure you’re getting the best quality of sleep possible.
Healthy sleep cycles come with a host of benefits - you can experience elevated moods, better focus, and better performance across a range of activities.
Here are our top tips for figuring out the best way to work through a bad sleep cycle, and why you need to rethink your next all-nighter.
Getting Better At Sleep Hygiene
If you’ve gotten into the habit of pulling off all-nighters often, it’s more than likely there’s going to be a lot of room for improvement in your sleep hygiene practices. Start by getting comfy, so that you’ll just be unable to resist falling asleep as quickly as possible. This includes practices such as taking warm showers before bedtime, staying away from screens as you wind down for the evening, and keeping your bedroom furniture optimized for the best sleep possible.
Your sleep begins with a bedroom set you can look forward to coming home to. Finding the most comfortable mattress for your sleeping position is a pretty vital aspect of this - memory foam mattresses are a popular choice for those looking to strike a balance between beds that provide comfort and support. When you have a comfy bedroom set up, staying up all night will be close to impossible.
3 ways a memory foam mattress can improve your sleep hygiene:
1. Memory foam mattresses have contouring capabilities that allow them to adapt to your personal sleeping position. By relieving the pressure points in your body, memory foam mattresses ensure you’re getting much-needed recovery while you’re sleeping.
2. The comfortable feel of memory foam is why it tends to rank consistently amongst the top-rated mattresses for those who struggle with a lack of sleep. Not only do they cater to the individual requirements of their sleepers, the best memory foam mattresses also have other features that make them suitable for creating a comfy bedroom.
3. Climate control features that make memory foam mattresses suitable for sleepers who tend to get stuffy through the night.
Your new comfy bed can transform your sleep hygiene, and make you look forward to getting your full 7-8 hours each night, so all-nighters might quickly become a thing of the past.
The Impact Of An All-Nighter On Your Sleep Cycle
Pulling an all-nighter off can be difficult, but the real consequences only start appearing after you’ve successfully completed one. It can take weeks for the body to readjust its circadian rhythm after a night of no sleep. If you do experience strange dips and peaks in your mood and focus in the days after, a lack of sleep is very likely to be the source of your problem.
Need proof? In one study conducted in 2000, it was found people who deprived themselves of sleep for 17-19 hours performed worse when tested against people who had a blood level alcohol of 0.5%. Sleep deprivation has the same effect on your conscious self as drinking alcohol does and causes a significant amount of long term damage.
In another study held by researchers at Berkley, scientists found that sleep plays a vital role in the consolidation of memories. This means that a healthy memory is reliant on a strong sleep cycle, so you can expect side effects such as difficulty retaining information if you’re struggling with a lack of sleep.
This is especially relevant for those of us who decide an all-nighter is the only way to do well before a big exam or presentation - the facts indicate you’re actually less likely to be able to rely on your memory recall or focus in doing so.
Cultivating Healthy Sleep Hygiene Habits
Understanding how to cultivate healthy sleep hygiene habits can make a lasting difference in the quality and quantity of our rest. There are plenty of ways in which you might be able to naturally encourage a healthy sleep cycle and reduce sleepless nights.
Begin by having a consistent time to go to bed and wake up in the morning - as your sleep works in cycles, your body thrives best when it has a regimented schedule it can follow. Having a nightly ritual to follow in the lead-up to bedtime can also help your body with associating certain behaviors with rest, eventually helping you get to sleep that much quicker.
Possible rituals you may want to integrate include a warm shower, a cup of herbal tea (or a more indulgent cup of hot chocolate), or reading a book to lull yourself into sleep. Scrolling through your phone should be avoided at all costs a few hours before bedtime since the blue light present in our phones and other devices can actually disrupt the production of melatonin in the body.
Making Up For Lost Time In Your Sleep Cycle
If you’re worried your sleep cycle seems beyond repair, or are simply wondering what the best ways to recoup from an all-nighter might be, there’s no reason to fret. With a little bit of time and discipline, it is possible to restore your sleep cycle to its former glory.
Catching up on your rest means a lot of solo time with your memory foam mattress. Be sure to get out of bed first thing when you wake up in the morning, even if you’re tempted to fall back asleep.
How to keep track of your sleep cycle:
- Use a sleep tracker to help you with figuring out a routine that works for you.
- Download a sleep app like Sleep Genius, which is a free downloadable app developed by scientists at NASA to help with better sleep.
- Keep a sleep schedule and stick to it so your body can develop a natural body clock.
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Investing in a memory foam mattress that actually provides you support and has you looking forward to getting to sleep each night is going to help you get closer to your goal of a healthy sleep cycle.
Finding healthy alternatives to staying up all night won’t just help you get the right amount of rest, it’s going to boost your well-being overall, making these tips well worth giving a try. Nothing like a good win-win!
Your Turn...
Does tracking your sleep cycle improves your sleep hygiene? Share your thoughts in the comments.Â
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Disclaimer. We love sleep and we want you to get the best sleep possible. But we do not provide medical advice. This blog is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical info, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on our blog.
