Tomorrow is a big business trip, the start of a long-planned event, or a big presentation in front of the boss. You’ve set an alarm, gone to bed early, and asked for a full night’s sleep. But your efforts are usually wasted as you toss and turn in bed all night. How can you make sure you get a good night’s sleep?
If you can’t sleep, don’t worry, because it’s worthless.
The only things that worrying does is making your brain’s fear center more active and prevent you from falling asleep.
“Yes, it’s fantastic if I can get a good night’s sleep, but if I don’t sleep well, it’s not the end of the world,” is a better strategy. The good news is that many people have found that one or even two nights without sleep don’t prevent them from working, and parents who have had childcare experience are more experienced.
This phenomenon is called “Special Event Insomnia“. Even those who believe they sleep well may still be influenced by it, especially if there is a big event the next day. They may toss and turn the night before, wondering,
“Will I press the alarm clock and fall asleep again?”
“Will the presentation suck?”
“Oh! There are only two hours left to sleep”
Why does this occur?
Anyone have experienced missing a bus, train, or aircraft, or being late when they were younger. The consequences are typically some penalties, which is why it was strongly imprinted in the subconscious. Your brain will make every effort to keep you safe or even keep you awake all night if you experience something similar.
It could also be that you “try too hard” to sleep and focus too much on what needs to get done the next day. In addition to worrying about not getting enough sleep, another form of stress that keeps the brain awake is thinking about whether the activities planned for the following day will run without a hitch.
It’s too late for you to establish an early bedtime and early riser schedule, so what can you do ?
Never attempt the impossible.
Unless you were born an early riser, it is hard to fall asleep at nine o’clock and wake up early in the morning when you intentionally set your alarm for that day.
The better course of action is to gradually induce sleepiness by gradually dimming the lights in the house starting at eight o’clock. Blue light should also be avoided two hours prior to bedtime because it tricks the brain into believing that it is still daylight. Electronics like tablets and mobile phones are sources of blue light.
Despite the fact that some people give in to the allure of sedatives, it is preferable to avoid using them unless a physician has recommended them. It is not a good idea to attempt taking the medication the night before the major event, despite the fact that some people also wish to test over-the-counter medications that have a calming effect.
Set time specifically for worrying
Allocating time for worry and anxiety might lessen its intensity so as not to interfere with sleep.
One of anxiety’s primary purposes is to improve memory, thus we worry to prevent forgetting. Therefore, the brain will continue to play if we still have a lot of problems and worries to solve that are not adequately organized, solved, and taken care of.
You could make a habit to set up a “worry meeting” for himself three to seven days before the major occasion. Even if they don’t always make sense, list all of your anxieties. Don’t worry, just list all your concerns.
It takes around 3 to 10 minutes to make a list of all your concerns, circle the three that worry you the most, and then, on a separate piece of paper, describe the shortest, most practical steps you can take to address each of those three concerns.
For instance, if you’re worried about oversleeping, a workable solution is to exercise in the afternoon the day before to improve sleep tendencies; if you’re worried that the presentation will go wrong, set up extra practices, list any important tips, etc.
Increase sleep drive
A long day of work can make you sleepy, and some people will take caffeine and naps to prevent falling asleep. Establish a greater sleep pattern a few days prior to the major event. Refrain from consuming coffee and tea after lunch as well. Doing exercise and sleep deprivation can make you more tired and have a better night’s sleep the day before the major event.
Get rid of the hope of a restful night’s sleep
“Nothing can drag you down if you’re not holding on to it.”
Tony Robbins
You can’t force yourself to sleep, and whether you fall asleep relies on whether you can let go. The easiest way to deal with insomnia before important occasions is to let go of your insistence on sleep and your anxiety of not being able to sleep.
Accept your exhaustion if you genuinely didn’t sleep well the night before, but don’t keep telling yourself that you didn’t sleep well the next day.