Tips on Insomnia, Shift Work and Stress. Best playlists to fall asleep

The longest recorded time without sleep is 11 days. This study has shown how from just being tired, humans go to aggression, depression, health issues, delusions and psychosis. Not getting enough sleep over a short period, such as a week, may cause:

In the long term, not getting enough sleep can reduce immune functioning and increase your risk of certain health conditions. These include:

• high blood pressure
• heart disease
• stroke
• obesity
• type 2 diabetes
• mental illness

There are multiple processes happening in the body during the sleep:

Blood pressure drops Breathing becomes slower Muscles are relaxed Blood supply to muscles increases Tissue growth and repair occurs Energy is restored Hormones are released, such as: Growth hormone, essential for growth and development, including muscle development

Not all sleep is the same. 5 minutes nap does allow you to rest but it is not the same as deep sleep. There are suggestions on alternative sleep patterns , which might be suitable for some people.

But essentially sleep is important and sleep patterns are affecting us. That brings me to the next aspect of my life and the lives of many go-getters and entrepreneurs. People that are commonly putting sleep at the bottom of the priority list. Some symptoms include:

• Insomnia
• Disrupted sleep schedules
• Reduced performance
• Difficulties with personal relationships
• Irritability/depressed mood

This article suggests some tips on how to adapt and manage shift hours, unstable sleep and stay active. Nevertheless, the bottom line for me personally, inconsistent sleep is bad for your health and it is bad for your social life. I have done over 8 years of shift work across a 24 hours roster with over 14 days straight. I personally could feel the effect on mood, heart, overall health and higher stress and depression levels. I suggest it is possible to do, but it is better to follow that lifestyle for up to 2 years and preferably between 2 shifts timing (Eg: AM and PM) rather than 4 (Eg: 6am/ 2pm/ 6pm/ 11pm start times). For example, PM and Night – 14:30-23:00 and 23:00-07:00. But when you are often rotated between all 4 (AM, MID, PM, Night) your body is getting more and more confused and more and more exhausted.

I understand that there are so many things you need to accomplish... But if you want to stay focused and in control during the day and complete your goals, you need to have energy, you need to have sleep. I did learn it the hard way, and I want your sleep journey to be more pleasant. 

One of the best techniques to settle your chatty mind and structure your day is to write down the thoughts. Journaling helps control your symptoms and improve your mood by: helping you prioritise tasks, set goals, manage problems and anxiety. Tracking your thoughts and daily progress helps you to remain relaxed and in control.

Regardless of your work hours, it is common for people to struggle to fall asleep. According to the Sleep Foundation listening to music can help you to reset your mind and fall asleep faster and deeper. 

Here are 3 playlists you can find on Spotify that I personally use: 

Meditate to the Sound of Nature
Sleep
Meditation Space

Please let us know what you think.

Which playlist style do you prefer? Do you listen to other playlists to fall asleep?

I hope tonight you are going to have a good sleep and wake up full of energy to make your dreams come true!

Love,

Daria