RAMADAN HAS STARTED. And overnight you expect your body clock to change? With each passing day, your mind and body will take a heavy toll in keeping up with this sudden change in your normal schedule. And the number one victim is your sleep pattern. All previous standards seem to fly out of the window during this month.
Here are some tips to avoid the gradual degeneration into being a sleepless night owl during this month:
1. The number one rule is to try as much as possible to stick to your normal routine. Go to bed the same time every night. Discourage late night visitation or shopping excursions. Turn your phones off at a certain hour.
2. Eat basic and bland foods during Sahoor. A leg of lamb and a hefty helping of greasy rice alongside a dozen samboosas will only serve to put your fragile digestive systems into ungoverned overdrive. To sleep easy, avoid tea, coffee, or a sheesha gathering late at night.
3. Cut afternoon naps short. If you find yourself having trouble falling asleep, then avoid them altogether. Or at the very least, limit them to no more than a half-hour. Extended sleep during daylight hours often leaves us more weary, restless, and morose.
4. Exercise early before bedtime, and preferably before Iftar. If that is not possible, then do it at least two hours before Suhoor. But do get some exercise.
5. Invest in heavy curtains or drapes and noise reduction devices. You need a dark and quiet environment to fade smoothly into sleep. Cooperate with your biological clock.
6. Take a warm bath before bedtime. Researchers have found that when your body gets ready for sleep, your body temperature drops. A warm bath may just help nudge you into sleepy meadows.
7. Try to deal with stress during daylight hours. If niggling thoughts persist in invading your bedroom, make notes of them on a note-pad, and defer them for action for the following day. In as much as you can, leave stressful issues outside the bedroom.
8. Save the bed for sleep. Reading up on world events in the newspaper, watching TV, or reviewing your monthly electricity bill should be avoided altogether.
9. If after all of this you find yourself tossing and turning, get out of bed and do something else. Water a plant, or watch popcorn pop in the microwave.
10. Fix yourself a light snack. It is hard to sleep when hungry, so try a bowl of cereal with a banana. Some studies indicate that Tryptophan, a chemical found in milk, naturally induces sleep.
Remember these tips when you are in a sleepless frenzy. Or better yet, cut out this column and paste it on your refrigerator door.
As days go on during this month, sleeplessness has a nasty way of catching up with you. No wonder, many I speak to tell of the onset of some mild depression during the later stages of the month. And that my friends can be attributed to a lack of proper sleep.
A blessed Ramadan to all!
— Tariq A. Al-Maeena, [email protected]
