Three Sleep Tips for Easing Back Into the School and Workplace Grind

With the long and balmy days of summer coming to a close, we say ‘So long’ to our trove of Instagram vacation photos and bid ‘Hello’ to a fall full of work. The kiddos face an equally unceremonious return to the most infamous of six-letter words, S-C-H-O-O-L.

Diving back into the non-vacation world  of our jobs and studies also means it is time to ditch our summer habits of rising late and hitting the hay way past our bed time. Take heart, fellow slumber lover, we’ve got a few suggestions to make your transition from summer fun to fall’s ho-hum a little easier.

Say goodnight to your iPad before you say goodnight

Did you know that 89% of adults and 75% of kids have at least one electronic device in their bedroom? Even more sobering is that 68% of adults and 51% of children have two or more.

Bringing your electronics to bed can hamper your sleep.

A habit that’s hard to resist (photo courtesy of The Telegraph)

Children and their devices

On average, kids who left their phones, TVs or tablets on at night slept about 45 minutes less than kids who turned off their electronics before bed. Over the course of one month, electronics-dependent kids can lose more than 20 hours of sleep! That sleep debt will have a significant impact on their studies and academic performance.

Parents and their devices

Grown-ups aren’t immune to the plasma-screen plague, either. One out of every four parents says they read or respond to texts or emails at least once a week after going to bed. Adults reported a 10% increase in suboptimal sleep when they leave their devices on throughout the night.

Tucking in your (de)vices

Turn off those devices, parents! Your habits are proven to influence your childrens’ electronic habits. Additionally, you’ll benefit from uninterrupted sleep. Getting a night of uninterrupted sleep is crucial to mental alertness, something that will surely come in handy once you get back to the office.

More sleep means better cognitive function

Ever notice how hard it is to do the simplest things when you’re dead tired? That’s not a coincidence. Lack of sleep can seriously inhibit your cognitive ability. Studies have shown that interrupted sleep leaves us in a state similar to the one we find ourselves in after a few cocktails. While that may not matter too much during the summer holiday, there is a reason we have coffee, not mimosas, before heading into that important morning meeting.

Workplace accidents and automotive accidents both increase when workers and drivers are sleep deprived. Remember–protecting your sleep is one of the best ways to protect your safety on the road and on the job.

Your teenage children also assume greater risk of accidents when they shift into gear without proper sleep: Fatigue is the cause of more than 100,000 car accidents a year, and half of those drivers are teenagers.

Clean up your social calendar

Four out 10 adults said evening activities impede their sleep at least once a week. That number is significant enough to reevaluate your social schedule for the fall season.

We’re not saying you should board up the windows and turn down the concert tickets your friend gave you. But we do suggest you to take a look at your social calendar for September.

Set aside one week when all social activities end before 8 p.m. Give yourself some time to relax and unwind. Go to bed early and fall asleep in a cool bedroom with minimal light. You’ll be surprised at how great you will feel in the morning!

And who knows, that may even leave you with some extra time to start thinking about a quick get-away this winter.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *