Didn’t Sleep Last Night? Here’s How to Survive the Workday.
By DXTR
Research shows that 61 percent of people crave sleep more than sex. Blame it on the alcohol, your snoring partner, or your restless dog; regardless of its causes (as surprising as some of them may be) sleep deprivation happens to the best a majority of us. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention even lists insufficient sleep as a public health epidemic.
As creatures of habit, disruptions in our sleep cycle can dramatically impact our productivity by making us stressed, irritable and less focused. But if, and when, we happen to find ourselves forced to function on little-to-no sleep, how might we power through the day without crashing and burning? Science of Us asked sleep researchers about how to make it:
7 am: Your alarm goes off.
You will want to hit the snooze button. Resist this urge…those seven-minute extra increments of dozing aren’t actually restorative sleep and won’t make you any more alert.
7:30 am: Eat breakfast.
Research suggests that eating within an hour of waking up will boost your mood and cognitive performance for the early part of your day.
Also: Have (a little) caffeine.
Experts recommend no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day…That coffee will be much more helpful midday
8 am: Get outside.
Surrounding yourself with as much bright light, especially natural light, as possible will help you feel more alert.
9 am: Get your toughest tasks done first.
It’s the most alert you’ll be all day. Best take advantage of it, because it’s a very small window for the sleep-deprived brain, opening about one hour after waking and closing two hours later.
10 am: Have another cup of coffee
11 am: Maybe lie low today, as much as you’re able.
If you’re really out of it, you might consider rescheduling meetings or phone calls, if possible
Noon: Have a (light) lunch.
You’ll naturally feel sleepier in the afternoon, anyway, but eating a too-heavy lunch will make it even worse.
1 pm: Have some more coffee.
Even when you’re operating on a good night’s sleep, your drowsiest time of the day tends to be six to eight hours after waking.
2 pm: Best-case scenario: take a nap.
If you can squeeze a quick nap in — maybe behind your closed office door or in your car if you drive one to work — your afternoon will be better for it.
Second-best scenario: Get back outside.
If you’re feeling really groggy, but can’t take a nap, just go outside for a few minutes.
3 pm – 5:30 pm: Power through some busy work.
You know the things you’ve been meaning to do but have been putting off forever? Replying to emails, organizing your inbox — that kind of stuff? Do it now.
In the wise words of Winston Churchill: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
