How to get enough sleep: Ramadan Edition

Most of us don't get enough sleep in general. Some of us have too much work to deal with and some of us binge watch all our torrent downloads and regret it the next day. No matter what the cause, sleep deprivation is an issue. It affects performance and increases irritability. Not sleeping enough makes fasting all the more challenging. Here are some tips to get enough sleep during this month.

TAKE NAPS

If your classes or work end early enough to allow you to come back home a few hours before iftar, use the time to nap. It might not have the same impact as a full night of sleep but some sleep is better than no sleep. Naps can help improve your cognitive prowess, reduce fatigue and irritability, and just help you feel better in general. Try giving power naps a shot if you're really exhausted and have very little time to spare – it's the new caffeine.

GET A BLUELIGHT FILTER

If you spend a lot of time near screens, download a bluelight filter (such as f.lux) or a get a physical blue light filter. This prevents your eyes from becoming strained and also helps you get more quality sleep. The blue light is known to negatively affect the chemistry of the substances that make our eyes feel heavy - an indication that we're sleepy. Filtering it out reduces this disruption. However, if you need sleep, it's best to turn off the light and lay down with your eyes closed even if you can't sleep. 

STAY AWAKE TILL SEHRI

If you can't get sleep after waking up for sehri or have problems if you have to wake up multiple times, try and stay awake till sehri and sleep after. I repeat, some sleep is better than no sleep. This is obviously only an option if you get ample time to remain in bed in the mornings but you can also pair it with daytime naps to see if this works out. Make sure to get everything you need to do out of the way during this time so you can actually sleep peacefully when you finally get to hit the sack. 

CALL IT A NIGHT EARLY

Attend to your prayers and other responsibilities as early as possible after iftar and call it a night. This will help you buy more time till sehri and hopefully get you the much needed sleep. If you need to study or have work, try and do it after sehri. 

Good luck to you if you're on the same boat as me and hope these help! 

Nooha Sabanta Maula is an Anthropology major whose anthropologising has made her confused about life. Send her your thoughts to noohamaula@gmail.com