How to Avoid Sleeping and Yawning During the Day
Stick to a regular sleep schedule., Turn off all electronics and distractions a few hours before bed., Set an alarm to remind you it’s time for bed., Do a relaxing activity before bed., Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet., Try to wake up with...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
Create a sleep schedule where you wake up and go to sleep at the same time everyday, even on weekends or days off.
Sleep requirements vary from person to person, but on average, you should be getting between seven to nine hours of sleep to function at your best during your waking hours.Some people think getting just one less hour of sleep won’t affect their daily functioning or that they can make up for lack of sleep on the weekend or a day off.
But any changes or shifts to your regular sleep schedule will only have a negative effect on your sleeping habits and lead to lots of yawning when you are awake.It’s a myth that your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedule.
While most people can reset their biological clock, this can only be done by timed cues, and even then, only by one to two hours per day at best.
It can take more than a week for your body’s internal clock to adjust to traveling across several time zones or to switching to the night shift.
Extra sleep at night cannot cure you of your daytime fatigue.
The quantity of sleep you get every night is important, but the quality of your sleep is more important.
You may get eight or nine hours of sleep a night but won’t feel well rested if the quality of your sleep was poor. -
Step 2: Turn off all electronics and distractions a few hours before bed.
Shut off your television, smartphone, iPad, and computer or keep all electronics out of your bedroom completely.
The type of light these screens emit can stimulate your brain, suppress the production of melatonin (which helps you sleep), and interfere with your body’s internal clock.Another option is to shut down your computer on a schedule.
This will automatically sleep your machine and prevent you from working on your computer too late or too close to your bedtime.
There are sleep features on both PCs and Macs that you can activate.
As well, if you want your computer to be ready to go in the morning, once you wake up, you can schedule a startup time too., If you tend to get wrapped up in evening activities or conversations and forget to stick to your sleep schedule, you can set an alarm on your phone or computer to alert you 1 hour or 30 minutes before bedtime.If you prefer to shut down all electronics a few hours before bed, you can use an alarm on your watch or ask someone you live with to remind you of bedtime 1 hour before it’s time. , This could be a warm bath, reading a good book, or having a quiet conversation with your partner.
Doing a restful activity will help to trigger your brain to start relaxing and shutting down.If you find yourself tossing and turning in bed in the dark, don’t lie there and stare up at the ceiling.
Instead, do a relaxing activity in bed to calm down and get your mind off your inability to sleep.
Doing a restful activity may in fact end up causing you to fall asleep., Use heavy curtains or shades to block the light from windows.
Cover any electronic displays, like televisions or computers so the light does not glow in the room.
You can also use a sleep mask to cover your eyes and create a dark space that will help you sleep.If you have difficulty sleeping due to loud noises outside your window or a loud sleep partner, consider investing in good earplugs, or a noise machine. , You can also set a timer so bright lights come on in your room in the morning at the same time every day.
Sunlight helps your body’s internal clock to reset itself each day.Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people who have trouble falling asleep., The best time for a nap is usually mid afternoon, before 3 pm.
This is the time of day you will likely experience post-lunch sleepiness or a lower level of alertness.
Naps taken before 3 pm should not interfere with your nighttime sleep.Keep your naps short, between 10 to 30 minutes.
This will prevent sleep inertia, which is when you feel groggy and disoriented after a nap that goes on for longer than 30 minutes., A sleep journal or diary can be a useful tool to help you identify any habits that may be keeping you awake.
You may be able to also pinpoint if you are displaying symptoms of a sleep disorder.
Update your sleep journal with notes on:
What time you went to bed and woke up.
The total sleep hours and quality of your sleep.
The amount of time you spent awake and what you did.
For example: “stayed in bed with eyes closed” “counted sheep” “read a book”.
The types of food and liquids you consumed before bed and the amount of food and liquids you consumed.
Your feelings and moods before bed, such as “happy” “stressed” “anxious”.
Any drugs or medication you took, such as sleeping pills, including the dose and time of consumption.
Notice any triggers that start to repeat themselves in your sleep journal and see if there are ways you can prevent or limit these triggers.
For example, maybe you often get a bad night’s sleep on a Friday after drinking two martinis.
Try not to drink at all the following Friday and see if this improves your sleep. , When you take sleeping pills for a brief period of time, and based on your doctor’s recommendations, they can help you fall asleep.
But they are just a temporary solution.
In fact, sleeping pills can often make insomnia and other sleep issues worse in the long term.Use sleeping pills and medications sparingly for short term situations, like traveling across several time zones or when recovering from a medical procedure.
Using sleeping pills only when necessary, rather than on a daily basis, will also prevent you from being dependent on them to help you sleep every night. , Many of the side effects of these drugs can have adverse effects on your sleep patterns and daytime alertness.
Common medications that can disturb your sleep include:
Nasal decongestants.
Aspirin and other headache medications.
Pain relievers that contain caffeine.
Cold and allergy medications containing an antihistamine.
If you are taking any of these medications, try to reduce your dosage.
Or research alternative methods to treat these issues so you can stop taking these over-the-counter medications. -
Step 3: Set an alarm to remind you it’s time for bed.
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Step 4: Do a relaxing activity before bed.
-
Step 5: Keep your bedroom dark
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Step 6: and quiet.
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Step 7: Try to wake up with the sun.
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Step 8: Avoid napping after 3 pm.
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Step 9: Keep a sleep journal.
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Step 10: Take sleeping pills only when necessary.
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Step 11: Be wary of over-the-counter medications that can lead to insomnia and sleep issues.
Detailed Guide
Create a sleep schedule where you wake up and go to sleep at the same time everyday, even on weekends or days off.
Sleep requirements vary from person to person, but on average, you should be getting between seven to nine hours of sleep to function at your best during your waking hours.Some people think getting just one less hour of sleep won’t affect their daily functioning or that they can make up for lack of sleep on the weekend or a day off.
But any changes or shifts to your regular sleep schedule will only have a negative effect on your sleeping habits and lead to lots of yawning when you are awake.It’s a myth that your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedule.
While most people can reset their biological clock, this can only be done by timed cues, and even then, only by one to two hours per day at best.
It can take more than a week for your body’s internal clock to adjust to traveling across several time zones or to switching to the night shift.
Extra sleep at night cannot cure you of your daytime fatigue.
The quantity of sleep you get every night is important, but the quality of your sleep is more important.
You may get eight or nine hours of sleep a night but won’t feel well rested if the quality of your sleep was poor.
Shut off your television, smartphone, iPad, and computer or keep all electronics out of your bedroom completely.
The type of light these screens emit can stimulate your brain, suppress the production of melatonin (which helps you sleep), and interfere with your body’s internal clock.Another option is to shut down your computer on a schedule.
This will automatically sleep your machine and prevent you from working on your computer too late or too close to your bedtime.
There are sleep features on both PCs and Macs that you can activate.
As well, if you want your computer to be ready to go in the morning, once you wake up, you can schedule a startup time too., If you tend to get wrapped up in evening activities or conversations and forget to stick to your sleep schedule, you can set an alarm on your phone or computer to alert you 1 hour or 30 minutes before bedtime.If you prefer to shut down all electronics a few hours before bed, you can use an alarm on your watch or ask someone you live with to remind you of bedtime 1 hour before it’s time. , This could be a warm bath, reading a good book, or having a quiet conversation with your partner.
Doing a restful activity will help to trigger your brain to start relaxing and shutting down.If you find yourself tossing and turning in bed in the dark, don’t lie there and stare up at the ceiling.
Instead, do a relaxing activity in bed to calm down and get your mind off your inability to sleep.
Doing a restful activity may in fact end up causing you to fall asleep., Use heavy curtains or shades to block the light from windows.
Cover any electronic displays, like televisions or computers so the light does not glow in the room.
You can also use a sleep mask to cover your eyes and create a dark space that will help you sleep.If you have difficulty sleeping due to loud noises outside your window or a loud sleep partner, consider investing in good earplugs, or a noise machine. , You can also set a timer so bright lights come on in your room in the morning at the same time every day.
Sunlight helps your body’s internal clock to reset itself each day.Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people who have trouble falling asleep., The best time for a nap is usually mid afternoon, before 3 pm.
This is the time of day you will likely experience post-lunch sleepiness or a lower level of alertness.
Naps taken before 3 pm should not interfere with your nighttime sleep.Keep your naps short, between 10 to 30 minutes.
This will prevent sleep inertia, which is when you feel groggy and disoriented after a nap that goes on for longer than 30 minutes., A sleep journal or diary can be a useful tool to help you identify any habits that may be keeping you awake.
You may be able to also pinpoint if you are displaying symptoms of a sleep disorder.
Update your sleep journal with notes on:
What time you went to bed and woke up.
The total sleep hours and quality of your sleep.
The amount of time you spent awake and what you did.
For example: “stayed in bed with eyes closed” “counted sheep” “read a book”.
The types of food and liquids you consumed before bed and the amount of food and liquids you consumed.
Your feelings and moods before bed, such as “happy” “stressed” “anxious”.
Any drugs or medication you took, such as sleeping pills, including the dose and time of consumption.
Notice any triggers that start to repeat themselves in your sleep journal and see if there are ways you can prevent or limit these triggers.
For example, maybe you often get a bad night’s sleep on a Friday after drinking two martinis.
Try not to drink at all the following Friday and see if this improves your sleep. , When you take sleeping pills for a brief period of time, and based on your doctor’s recommendations, they can help you fall asleep.
But they are just a temporary solution.
In fact, sleeping pills can often make insomnia and other sleep issues worse in the long term.Use sleeping pills and medications sparingly for short term situations, like traveling across several time zones or when recovering from a medical procedure.
Using sleeping pills only when necessary, rather than on a daily basis, will also prevent you from being dependent on them to help you sleep every night. , Many of the side effects of these drugs can have adverse effects on your sleep patterns and daytime alertness.
Common medications that can disturb your sleep include:
Nasal decongestants.
Aspirin and other headache medications.
Pain relievers that contain caffeine.
Cold and allergy medications containing an antihistamine.
If you are taking any of these medications, try to reduce your dosage.
Or research alternative methods to treat these issues so you can stop taking these over-the-counter medications.
About the Author
Melissa Nguyen
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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