Tips to avoid daytime sleepiness

It is not unusual to feel sleepy during daytime, especially after lunch. But excessive sleepiness during daytime affects daily work and many times leaves important works undone. The condition called hypersomnia that is the recurrent sleepiness makes people want to nap repeatedly. Poor sleep habits are often the cause of daytime sleepiness. The following tips can help you avoid daytime sleepiness.
1. Get adequate nighttime sleep
That may sound obvious, but many of us succumb to shaving an hour or two off our sleep time in the morning or at night to do other things. Most adults need seven to nine hours a night and teenagers usually need a full nine hours. Block out eight or nine hours for sleep every night.
2. Keep distractions out of bed
We should not read, watch TV, play video games, or use laptop computers in bed. They may leave you sleepless.
Set a consistent wake-up time
People who have problem sleepiness are often advised to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including on weekends. But randomly setting an ideal bedtime can lead to more frustration if you suffer from insomnia and already have trouble falling asleep. This process of always getting up at the same time helps to anchor the circadian rhythm.
4. Gradually move to an earlier bedtime
Another approach to getting into a consistent schedule is to try going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night for four nights. Then stick with the last bedtime. Gradually adjusting your schedule like this usually works better than suddenly trying to go to sleep an hour earlier.
5. Set consistent, healthy mealtimes
Regular mealtimes, not just regular sleep times, help regulate our circadian rhythms. Eating a healthy breakfast and lunch on time rather than grabbing coffee in the morning or a late sandwich on the run — also prevents energy deficits during the day that will aggravate your sleepiness. Plan to finish eating meals two to three hours before bedtime.
6. Exercise
Regular exercise (30 minutes a day on most days) offers multiple benefits for sleep. Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, generally makes it easier to fall asleep and sleep more soundly. Exercise also gives you more daytime energy and keeps your thinking sharp. And if you exercise outside in daylight, you get still more benefits. Sleep experts recommend 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight a day because daylight helps regulate our sleep patterns.
Problem sleepiness can also be caused by certain illnesses and medications and mental conditions such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety are very commonly linked to sleep problems. Consult a doctor specialised in sleep who can design the right treatment for you.