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Key points
- Sleeplessness can be as impairing as intoxication on tasks like driving.
- In our culture, we often do not recognize sleep deprivation as a reason to slow down.
- It's okay to give yourself a break after a night without sleep.
We all know how it feels to go a night without sleep. Energy, moods, memory, and even strength can all be affected. Yet, sometimes we don't get a choice. A sleep-deprived day is not destined to be a bad day. Still, it's cause for some extra care, particularly for individuals living with mental health conditions, as a lack of sleep can be a powerful trigger for mental health symptoms. Here are five tips for coping after a night with little rest.
1. Get Some Sun
Light drives away the hormone melatonin, which signals a time for sleep. Getting sunlight, especially in the morning, may give a natural lift to mood and energy.
2. Give Yourself a Break
A research study that compared the effects of intoxication and sleep deprivation on a task of simulated driving found more impairment after a night without sleep (Lowrie and Brownlow, 2020). While few people would risk going to work intoxicated, in our culture, we often have an attitude of "suck it up" when it comes to sleeplessness. It's okay to take a break. Breaking down tasks for an "easy" day or putting off important decisions until you are well-rested might be wise in the long run.
3. If you take a nap or drink caffeine, do it early
What's worse than one sleepless night is two sleepless nights. Caffeine blocks the effects of the neurotransmitter adenosine, which causes drowsiness when we need sleep. It doesn't wake us up so much as it makes us less tired. Too much caffeine too late in the day can make it harder to fall asleep. Similarly, napping during the day can make us feel less ready to sleep the next night.
4. Let People Know You Haven't Slept Well
Lack of sleep can make us more impulsive and quicker to anger, possibly related to its impact on activity in the brain's amygdala (Saghir et al., 2018). It can also affect our coordination, memory, and focus, making us more likely to make mistakes and more reactive to those mistakes. Letting people know you haven't slept well may signal them to give you more space and patience.
5. Exercise
Exercise might be the last thing you want to do on a day you feel drowsy, yet exercise can give you a boost of energy in the short term. Even a short walk up and down the stairs may help you wake up a bit and lift your spirits.
All in all, sleep deprivation can be a challenging experience. Still, with care, it is possible to have a good day.
References
Lowrie, J., & Brownlow, H. (2020). The impact of sleep deprivation and alcohol on driving: a comparative study. BMC public health, 20, 1-9.
Saghir, Z., Syeda, J. N., Muhammad, A. S., Abdalla, T. H. B., & Abdalla, T. H. B. (2018). The amygdala, sleep debt, sleep deprivation, and the emotion of anger: a possible connection?. Cureus, 10(7).
