Due to the unique nature of Ramadan and the sudden change in eating habits and timing, many people experience sleepiness, headaches and mood swings during the day or even worse can’t sleep when they want to.
Here are some tips to help you improve the pattern and quality of your sleep during the holy month of Ramadan.
Eat right to sleep well
A healthy and balanced diet will help you to sleep better. As much as you can avoid heavy meals at Iftar. Loading your plate with heavy and sugary food will play havoc with your sleep as your body will be trying to digest the food when it needs to be sleeping and resting.
Maintain a regular sleeping schedule
Our bodies respond well to routine, so one of the best ways to train your body to sleep well is to try to go to bed and wake up at more or less the same time every day, even on weekends.
Strengthen your biological clock with daylight
All of us have a built-in biological clock, which is essential in regulating our sleep. Melatonin the sleep hormone, is the marker for the circadian rhythm, it is released when it’s dark signaling to our brains that it is time to sleep.Exposure to sunlight in the early morning hours, even as little as 10 minutes will help reinforce your circadian rhythm.
Darken your room
Decreasing exposure to artificial light and electronics will also strengthen your circadian rhythm. Make the last hour before bed an electronic-free time to help your body prepare for sleep and darken your room to help you fall asleep and sleep well throughout the night.
Sleep only when sleepy
Try to sleep only when you feel tired or sleepy, rather than spending too much time awake in bed.
Try again
If you can’t sleep in about 20 minutes, get up and do something calming until you feel sleepy, then return to bed and try again. Avoid doing anything that is too stimulating or interesting, as this will wake you up even more.
Avoid caffeine
Avoid consuming any caffeine in coffee, tea, cola drinks or chocolates for at least 4-6 hours before going to bed as it acts as a stimulant and interferes with the ability to fall asleep.
Take a power nap
Take a 20-minute nap if your energy levels are low during the day. Try not to sleep for longer than 20 minutes as your body may go into a deep sleep and you will wake up feeling tired.