Are you one of those “morning people”? You probably scramble out of bed and hit the ground running, telling the world, “Bring it on!”
Then you certainly don’t need a morning alarm.
But if you’re like the rest of us, you do need a little reminder to break into that deep REM sleep, throw off the comforters, and re-enter the world. For many people, their iPhones and smartphones are the all-in-one device that performs a wide range of tasks. And that may include setting morning alarms.
While you do know that sleep is important, there are times in every person’s life when it takes a back seat and you running your body on caffeine, adrenaline or just sheer overwork.
Why Is A Good Night’s Sleep Essential?
Have you found yourself on the edge lately? Irritable, anxious, exhausted? If you’re burning the midnight oil working, reading, binge-watching your favorite OTT show, it’s time to take a good hard look at your bedtime habits.
Some people may suffer from certain conditions such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, insomnia, shift work scheduling problems, stress, depression and more. You could also have a partner who snores, grinds their teeth in sleep, or tosses and turns restlessly.
If it’s a one-off, occasional problem, you probably don’t need any special intervention, but if lack of sleep affects your life, work and relationships, it’s time to act.
Sleep is important because:
- It rejuvenates your body’s systems
- Aids digestion, brain function
- Has an impact on your heart, metabolism, respiratory and circulatory systems
- Affects your emotional stability
- Helps you to think clearly, concentrate and focus
- Affects hormonal systems that have a circadian clock of their own
- Impacts your immune system
- Affects memory, navigation and problem-solving
- Promotes learning
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Depending on your age, varied ranges of sleep times are advised. For instance, a newborn may sleep for up to 16 hours a day in the first year of life. This gradually reduces as we grow older, and by age 18, we need about 8-9 hours of sleep every day. Older adults may find it difficult to sleep continuously, so they may take shorter naps through the day.
It’s a different matter that we each have our own personal preferences and sleep requirements. However, experts recommend that you need at least 7 hours of sleep to get the full benefits of complete rest every night. Night owls may find that they can manage with 4 or 5 hours, while early birds enjoy a cat nap post-lunch. Teenagers keep erratic hours.
Waking Up
We each have our own schedules and routines that we need to follow. If you’re working or you’re a student, you need to be at the office or in class at a particular time. Home-makers have to get the house running.
When you wake up:
- Your body temperature goes up
- Blood pressure increases
- Hormones such as serotonin and cortisol are released
- Nerve cells release neurotransmitters
If you feel groggy and lethargic on waking, it’s because the brain’s Reticular Activation System which does the job of alerting the resting brain takes a moment to kick start.
Alarm Clocks Make Waking Up Easier
Studies show that nearly 83% of people use their phones as alarm-clocks. But once you have the phone in your hands, there’s no telling how long you’re going to be on it. Checking mail, social media, news feeds, YouTube shots, and more will ensure that you still haven’t got out of bed long after the alarm went off.
Keep your phone out of reach, and get yourself an analog alarm clock with light.
This means you don’t waste hours scrolling, you’re more alert and fresh when you get out of bed. Keeping your phone close at hand affects your sleep. It tells your brain not to shut down completely. Too much screen time goes into reading hundreds of inane posts on social media, annoying and useless messages on various groups, stressful news, and work-related mails.
In other words, you could be well on the way to Smart Phone Addiction.
A simple alarm clock will tell you the time and it does that perfectly. You can set it to your preferred wake-up hour, and if you get one with a light, it will help you read the time if you wake up at night.
There’s no annoying ticking or blue light, and you don’t need to worry about power outages.
They are a charming addition to your bedroom décor while being completely functional as well. It ensures that you get a full night’s sleep minus the tension of worrying whether you’ll wake up in time. They are punctual, reliable, and safe for older people, teens, adults, and kids.
