5 Ways to Combat Lack of Sleep | iSavta
Supreme Court Decision about Deposit Funds (PIKADON) Supreme Court Decision about Deposit Funds (PIKADON)
GOOD NEWS! There's an increase in Minimum Wage for Migrant Workers in Israel Read More...
5 Ways to Combat Lack of Sleep

Lack of Sleep is common for Caregivers who are taking care of sick individuals. We know for a fact that lack of sleep can be one of the cons of being a caregiver. This doesn't mean all caregivers are insomniac. In fact, most of them are suffering from lack of sleep not because they couldn’t sleep but because they have to sleep light. Sleeping light means they are sleeping while subconsciously thinking about not dozing off completely. They have to be alert most of the time.

 

By just thinking about it, you cannot somehow imagine the life of a caregiver. Lack of sleep can cause a person a lot of trouble not just for his own health but the well-being of the person that he is taking care of.

 

But how can we expect a person to be fully alert 24/7 when he is sleep-deprived? What can one caregiver do to avoid burnout or worse, risk his own physical and mental health because of lack of sleep?

 

Here are some practical suggestion on how you can continue your Caregiving career without losing sleep and at the same time do your job effectively:

 

  • Adjust to your patient’s daily routine - as early as possible, learn and adjust to your patient’s daily routine. One quick guide to this is “SLEEP WHILE THEY SLEEP”. Note down those free hours when your patient sleeps. When they sleep every 2PM, you should take this time to doze off too. But you also have to make sure that they are safe (bed rails up, bedroom door open). Take note of how many minutes or hours they do their siesta in the afternoon, Try to put on an alarm at least 15min before the time they wake up.

 

  • Coffee is not the answer - You think 3 cups of coffee can get you fully alert despite having just 2 hours of sleep, you are wrong. Caffeine can give you a quick fix but your body will always ask you for that sleep you deprived it with. Try not to have caffeine before your bedtime. When your body asks you to rest, you should rest. But as a caregiver, you don’t always have this luxury of time, right? But this doesn’t mean you can’t find time. Spend your free hours taking naps instead of spending it on social media and/or Netflix.

 

  • Avoid Overeating - When you are sleep-deprived, your body will not have that enough energy to last you a day and it will ask you to recharge. Recharging means SLEEPING but sometimes your brain would tell you otherwise. The lack of energy will falsely signal HUNGER and you’ll resort to eating instead of sleeping. You will stuff yourself with satisfying and comforting but unhealthy food. This may cause you to be fully awake during your sleep hours especially if you overeat 3 hours before bedtime.

 

  • Avoid Overthinking - Easier said than done but overthinking can do more harm than good. In fact, it will not give you anything good. Overthinking will not solve any of your problems, it’s making it worse by forcing you to create negative scenarios in your head. Overthinking will not let you sleep which will result in you not functioning well both physically and mentally. If you are not mentally okay (because of lack of sleep) you will not be capable of solving your problems logically.

 

  • Meditate and Journal - Who has time to meditate and write a journal when you’re a caregiver? Of course you have time. Same as having time to scroll your Facebook and feel insecure with what you see in there. When you have a lot going on in your head, it is best to do a brain dump. Brain dumping means writing it all down in a journal together with all the feelings that goes with it. Journaling is known to help people with anxiety attacks and yes, people with insomnia. It helps them release those pent up emotions and let them have a good night rest. It is like having someone who listens to everything that you need to say to feel better.

 

Self-deprivation is sometimes a result of our own lifestyle. It’s not all because of our job as a medical health worker or caregiver. You just have to manage your time carefully and fill those sleep gaps that you have. Eating healthy, exercise, meditation, and sleeping at least 6-8 hours a day is essential to our well-being especially if there’s a person who is dependent on us, our patient/employer. 

Get our newsletter

Stay in touch! Get the latest posts and professional updates