Zzzz’s … They’re foundational

This is not a news flash, sleep is fundamental to your physical and mental health.  You’ve probably felt the negative effects of sleep deprivation, or the toll of limited sleep over the course of time. Beyond taking call overnight, physicians, like nurses, are having to work night shifts which adds a special burden to sleep. After a string of working many nights when I was a hospital RN, I was grinding my teeth so much, it woke me with a sore jaw and need for a night guard. This reflected the emotional toll from poor sleep. Sleep deprivation is one of the stressors internship and residency programs are trying to grapple with to decrease burnout among new physicians.

Sleep is a Positivity Enabler.  This is a phrase I learned from a positive psychology course through the Wholebeing Institute. Getting enough sleep enables us to experience positivity.   In a 2013 survey, adults who slept less than eight hours a night reported feeling more irritable, overwhelmed, and stressed than those who slept at least that much. Adequate sleep is associated with better weight control, decrease risk of Alzheimer’*, improved mood greater ability to concentrate, greater integration and learning regarding what has gone on during the day, better judgement, to name a few benefits.

With busy schedules, the time at the end or early hours of the day are the only down time you may have. Others may view sleep as unproductive time when there is so much else to do. Interrupted sleep poses another challenge to getting adequate sleep. No matter the cause, when time is stolen from sleep, it depletes your resilience and health.

Recognizing the importance to replenish with sleep is far easier than making the time for it in your busy schedule. It takes commitment to turn away from what may be engaging you. Here are some ideas to help you get enough sleep:

• Set a regular bedtime– Note the time you have to get up most days and work backwards 8 hours so that you can at least be in bed at this time.  It is best to be consistent with bedtime, even on the week-ends and on days off. This holds true for wake times too.
• Establish a bedtime ritual– You may do this or have done this for young children – brush teeth, read a little and tuck yourself in.  Once you find a routine that works, try to stick to it for a while; your body will develop mental and physical cues that “now” is the time for sleep. For some, having a ritual during the night is worthwhile too; this will allow you to have go to strategies that you associate with falling asleep. They can even incorporate some of what you do at bedtime.
• State or write 3 gratitudes – This can be done by stating What Went Well today. This has a calming and positive effect as long as you stay focused on what went well and don’t get distracted by the less than ideal or what didn’t get done.

What works for you to get enough sleep? If you have any suggestions to share with others please do so.

Revitalize Your Life,

Dina, 203.744.YOU3 (9683)

Improving physician and nurse well-being through coaching.

If you like this post and know others who may benefit from it, please share. If you’re not yet on my list, please sign up at HeartofWellBeing.com to receive articles regularly.

*Rudy Tanzi researcher at Harvard, stated at a talk the author attended

I’ll be on vacation next week, so there may not be a blog post until 2 weeks from now.