Does sleep affect productivity and your performance? You’re darn right it does.

But with the fast pacing lifestyle and the insane race to catch up and touch upon everything that a day has to offer, it is time to rethink this idea and give it a more practical attire that fits more realistically into an urban lifestyle.

So here comes the reality check…

You have no fixed sleep hours. Some days it is five and some days you may be lucky to get in another brownie hour and make it six. Going to bed is guided by your body’s demand or submission to fatigue rather than the daily healthy regime of relaxation. Very strangely, we still push our bodies to sit up one extra hour either at the bar, at the theatre, on the couch, or simply up in front of our laptops and not in bed where we should be.

So, the bottom line is that we spend more hours wide awake and fewer hours asleep.

Of course, it sounds impractical to do so every day. But the cold hard truth is that we have to tune our bodies to adjust to our revamped lifestyles where less sleep and more work is the order of the day.

With this acceptance of the revised sleep schedule where we catch a wink less and blink the eye more, it is important to assist our bodies in performing to the optimum even with less recharging daily.

 

11 Ways to Combat Sleep Deprivation and Feel Fresh Even if You Sleep Less

Here we give you insights into some easy and everyday hacks which teach you how to perform your best even with less sleep.

 

1. Discover Your Sleep Schedule

Sleeping less is not an offense, but waking up in between a sleep cycle definitely is. Our body is subject to different phases or sleep cycles every night. If you wake up at the end of a complete cycle, chances are that you feel less exhausted or worn out during the day as compared to someone who disrupts his/her sleep cycle in the middle. So, discover your sleep cycles with a little consciousness and tune your body to fall into a rhythm.

 

2. Face The Sun

Instantly recharge your nerves and senses by facing the morning sun for a few minutes at the start of the day. It helps to take away your feelings of lousiness and instantly brightens up your senses, preparing you for the day ahead. It acts as a stimulus for your brain to comprehend the onset of the day and all the activities that need to be taken up.

 

3. Keep Away From The Coffee Mug

While the first cup of coffee in the day may leave you fresh, the subsequent ones can dehydrate your body and add to your fatigue. Cut down on the intake of caffeine and substitute it with other healthy drinks and juices that add value to your well-being.

 

4. Keep Yourself Hydrated

Often by midday one starts feeling lost, exhausted, or dreamy. While some may hold the extra work pressure responsible for that, the truth is that our brain starts losing out on its focus. One good way to regain that lost focus is to hydrate your body with enough healthy fluids or simply water that helps to replenish the tissues and increase the flow of oxygen to our brain.

Another good idea is to start your day with two glasses of water that instantly kick your limping senses and put them to work. Try this for a couple of days and you will soon feel the morning thirst as soon as you step out of bed.

 

5. Snack Light at Regular Intervals

Depriving your body of some quality sleep should be compensated with good and healthy snacking at regular intervals, maybe after every two hours or so. Go in for light yogurt, fruits, nuts, or a granola bar. This gives you a decent feeling of fullness and holds you back from gorging at the lunch table or at dinner time. Small meals are also easy for your body to digest and give you a sense of lightness packed with energy. On the contrary, heavy meals leave you bloating and belching invariably pulling you down your chair and making you look sleepy or tired.

 

[RELATED: 7 Ways to Keep Yourself Healthy When You’re Working a Crazy Schedule]

 

6. Move and Stretch

Take a few small steps in the morning and they help you take giant leaps during the day. Yes, brisk walking, jogging, stretching, or a little exercise can do wonders for your physical well-being. They not only stretch your muscles and tissues but also activates your mind, freshen your mood and prepare you for the day with a brighter zeal. You feel lively, full of energy, and ready to take on the world.

 

7. Stop, Stand and Shut Down

While racing through your work, it is good once in a while to pause, halt, and take a break. If you spend long hours in front of the computer screen, it is a good idea to take your eyes off the monitor at regular intervals and stare at something green–and, of course, we mean the plant on your desk or in the office corridors and not the emerald necklace your coworker is wearing. You can also stand and take a short round on the office floor or simply visit the restroom for a stroll. If that seems too much, or you fear disturbing your colleagues, simply pull your chair back and stretch your arms front and back, signaling your brain to prepare for the relay ahead.

This helps to regulate the blood circulation to your body and signals positivity to your brain- a lot accomplished but more ahead.

 

8. Take a Power Nap

The pause in a melody makes it sweeter. Similarly, once in a while during the day, reset your biological clock by taking a quick power nap. Go and rest on the couch for a few minutes if your office policy allows that or gently put your head down and drench yourself in quietness for a few minutes of serenity. When you wake up, you will not only feel refreshed but also more focused and lively.

 

9. Take a Hot-Cold Shower

Research says that a hot shower induces sleep, but a combination of hot-cold-hot shower accentuates your senses and helps you prepare for the day ahead. After you finish cleaning yourself, open the shower for some cold water and then instantly go back to the hot shower. This stimulating combination of hot-cold-hot drives away all laziness and brightens up your day with freshness and new found alertness.

 

10. Tune in to Some Music

Carry an iPod loaded with your favorite songs or tune in to the radio while driving to work. Soothing and soft music can have a phenomenal effect on your energy levels and instantly help to drag you out when you are sagging. It reduces tension, soothes the nerves, and has a calming effect on your mind and its muscles. It has a therapeutic impact on a worn-out mind and body or one that is sleep-deprived.

 

11. Have a Laugh

No matter how crazy this may sound at the work table, take out a few moments from your busy schedule to entertain your bogged-down mind and enjoy a good laugh. Try sharing a joke with your co-workers or simply surf your mobile for a funny video, meme, or share on a social networking site. (Remember not to get lost mindlessly scrolling through your Facebook feed, though.) Try it once in a while and see what effect laughter can have on your sagging mind and body. It gives you a mood kick and instantly brightens up your moment. It also allows you to forget your stresses and reduces anxiety.

 

Sleep deprivation is indeed not appreciated as a matter of prudence but compensating its effects with more productive and healthy habits so as to keep up your performance is indeed commendable.

The incredible hacks shared here not only make up for your lost sleep but eventually make you a winner through the day where you perform brilliantly without sagging or giving up on fatigue. So, the next time you miss out on your sound sleep of 8 hours, remember the power of the saying “Less is More” and make up for the lost hours of sleep by trying some or all of the hacks discussed here.

 

Conquer your sleep before it conquers you. Rediscover your sleep patterns and mold them as per your requirements. Use the flexibility of sleep patterns to your advantage and feel fresh and a winner even with little sleep under your belt…or I suppose, under your pillow?