Chapter 2. Are You Sleep-Deprived? How Can You Improve Your Sleep?
Intro
Play this brief video introduction from one of your authors, David Myers.
Test Yourself
Are you sleep-deprived? Mark these 15 statements as True or False.
Question 2.1
1. I need an alarm in order to wake up at the appropriate time. |
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2. It’s a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning. |
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3. Weekday mornings I hit snooze several times to get more sleep. |
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4. I feel tired, irritable, and stressed out during the week. |
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5. I have trouble concentrating and remembering. |
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6. I feel slow with critical thinking, problem solving, and being creative. |
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7. I often fall asleep watching a show. |
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8. I often fall asleep in boring meetings or lectures or in warm rooms. |
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9. I often fall asleep after heavy meals or after a low dose of alcohol. |
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10. I often fall asleep while relaxing after dinner. |
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11. I often fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed. |
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12. I often feel drowsy while driving. |
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13. I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings. |
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14. I often need a nap to get through the day. |
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15. I have dark circles around my eyes. |
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Quiz reprinted with permission from James B. Maas, Sleep to Win! Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2013
Your Score
Psychologist James Maas reports that most students suffer from the results of sleep-deprivation. Are you among them?
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Yes. You responded TRUE to {model.truescore} items, which suggests that you would benefit from more sleep. (Three or more TRUE answers puts you in the sleep-deprived group.) To pin down your sleep needs, Maas recommends that for the next week you “go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual” and then the next week add 15 more minutes of sleep—“until you wake without an alarm and feel alert all day.”
No. You answered TRUE for only {model.truescore} items. This suggests you are not sleep deprived.
No. You answered TRUE for only {model.truescore} item. This suggests you are not sleep deprived.
No. You answered TRUE for {model.truescore} items. This suggests you are not sleep deprived.
Build This Strength
If you wish for more sleep—and more of the vitality, happiness, and health it enables—the first step is to manage your time. Live intentionally. Schedule your day to make space for all your priorities—your work, play, relationships, exercise, and sleep.
To sleep well, sleep experts offer these guidelines:
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Exercise, but not just before bed.
Cut the caffeine after late afternoon.
Dial down, by doing something relaxing before turning out the light.
Sleep at consistent times, so your body clock knows when to sleep and when to be awake.
James B. Maas, Power sleep: The revolutionary program that prepares your mind and body for peak performance. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
QUIZ
Are you ready for the Quiz? Demonstrate and reinforce your understanding by answering the following questions.
Question
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1. True
2. False
3. True