Having adequate sleep is essential for a person’s well being. Most people are not getting enough sleep and the bigger problem is that they don’t recognize that. I have come across many people who brag about how less they sleep. They consider this to be an achievement rather than recognizing this as a problem.
When we see this is in the context of the exams, this becomes significantly important as your performance in the exam depends on the duration of your sleep.
Your sleep is basically dependent on three levers. These are :
- Intensity
- Timing
- Duration
To improve the quality of sleep, you will have to work on these three pillars.
1. Intensity
The intensity of the sleep refers to how well you sleep. There are different phases of sleep, two of which are particularly important. Slow-wave sleep and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. The percentage of sleeping time you spend in these two phases largely determines the quality of your sleep.
When it comes to the intensity of sleep, there isn’t much that you can do. Your body largely manages the intensity of your sleep cycle for you. Exercising consistently and getting proper nutrition will help, but these actions only indirectly improve sleep intensity
2. Timing
Timing refers to when you go to sleep. If you get into bed around the same time each night, it is easier to develop good sleeping habits.
Secondly, the time you go to sleep should be in accordance with your circadian rhythm. Timing is perhaps the most important factor if you want to improve the quality of your sleep.
3. Duration
Duration refers to how long do you sleep. Physicians say that for an average human being to be healthy, they need to have at least 8 hours of sound sleep.
If we assume that you wake up at approximately the same time each day, then your sleep duration is determined by when you go to bed. Generally speaking, if you get into bed earlier, then you will end up sleeping more.
