Coping with less sleep at work

No matter how much sleep you have or haven’t had at night, chances are that you still have to go to work the next day. No matter how little sleep you got, office must be gone to. And the effects of one night of very little sleep can spiral over a few days and make you feel like you haven’t slept in years. The upshot of that is that working becomes an absolute pain and let’s not even talk about being irritable and, oh yes, sleepy.

So, then, what is the solution? Some people would say that the only way to stop feeling like this is to stop staying out late, put off partying till you retire, or not have kids who will keep you awake at odd hours. We are not those people. And to prove it to you, we give you ways to deal with feeling sleep deprived at work.

Here’s the deal. After a long night, to kick start the day, a cup of strong black coffee has been recommended by many as a good idea. No sugar, no milk. If that doesn’t wake you, you’ll just have to wait for the recipe of one of Jeeves’ pick-me-ups to be published.

A good mattress is all that matters

According to Dr. Praveen Gupta, Neurologist, Artemis Hospital, "It is a very important component for your back and has a direct connection with your nervous system”. They should provide support to your back but more important is the exercise that is required by your back. “The mattress has to be firm and should suit your taste and spine but without any thickness and bumps in it”, says Dr Gupta.

Colourless, odourless liquid has the power

Drink lots of water. Believe us, water can wake you up. At least it’s more effective that the sugary coffee you get from the vending machine. “Hydrating helps in removal of harmful toxins from body, maintaining the Turger of cells, blood circulation and proper functioning of kidneys, brain and muscles”, says Dr. Sushila Kataria, Senior consultant medicine/ physician of Medanta the Medicity.

Drink lots of it, even if does make you make more trips to the loo. The loo trips will keep you walking, and that’s our next tip on keeping sleep at day on a sleep deprived day. See how good water is?

Walk it out

Walking can help shake off the sleep very effectively, too. So, every time you think your eyes are closing with looking at that computer monitor, get up and take a walk.

“Walking, in particular, reduces stress, improves mood, elevates confidence and fights depression. It’ll keep you energetic throughout the day, improves your stamina and most definitely helps you sleep better”, says Yashmeen Manak, physical instructor, Sculpt Gym.
Just down the aisle till the stairwell, or better still run down the staircase and back up again. And during the day, keep away from the lift. Taking the stairs is a great way to keep yourself active, and staying active is the best antidote to sleep.

After all, while it may not matter if the work on your table only gets done tomorrow, but it certainly matters if your co-workers start noticing your crabby behaviour, and may begin to wonder why you didn’t get enough sleep last night.