A sound night's sleep can have you jumping out of bed, eager to face the day ahead. However, a poor night of rest can leave you feeling worn out, depressed, and unable to focus on the job at hand - not ideal when working in the trades. Getting enough quality sleep is crucial to maintaining your physical and mental health, just as important as frequent exercise and a balanced diet.
According to data, plenty of adults don't sleep enough, which can have a significant effect on managing your business as well as a negative impact on your general health and well-being.
Here, we'll examine some of the advantages sleep has for your health and discuss some techniques to improve your snooze time.
It should come as no surprise that having a good night's sleep can support your body's functions and helps to maintain a high level of energy. On top, getting sufficient shuteye can also help you retain focus throughout the day and prevent your imagination from going off into a daydream.
Basically, if you don't sleep enough, your body and mind may not be on top form the following day. Your reaction times, focus, strategic thinking, and capacity for sustained attention may all be impacted. This is crucial if you need to make a significant decision, drive, or operate heavy equipment - as many tradespeople do.
In an industry filled with risks and hazards, a lack of sleep increases your risk of having an accident or making an error. Ensuring you get enough sleep can help you remain alert and focused for the entire day.
Not getting the right amount of rest can raise the chance of you developing diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and even suffering a stroke. Your heart rate and blood pressure gradually decrease while you sleep to give your heart time to rest and recuperate.
Yet, studies show us that your nervous system will stay active at night if you don't get enough sleep. Your body's "fight-or-flight" response - which is how your body responds when it detects danger - is controlled by this system. If you're awake at night, your heart rate and blood pressure won't drop, and your body will produce stress hormones to keep your mind alert and your body awake.
Additionally, you are more likely to experience high blood pressure during the day if your blood pressure isn't given a fair chance to chill during the night.
Light is bad for our sleep patterns, particularly the blue light that comes from electronic screens like tablets, laptops, and mobile phones.
Working all day on-site, looking at our phones to reply to emails, taking phone calls, and checking social media will all contribute to blue light keeping our minds switched on. It's even worse when in darkened rooms, such as before we go to sleep. Even simply checking your mobile before bed can alert your mind, which should be going into relaxation mode - it can also trigger feelings of worry, angst and tension.
The 'good feeling' chemicals (such as dopamine) are triggered when we check our phones, but our cortisol and adrenaline levels will also rise, which is not ideal when attempting to fall asleep. Melatonin is a hormone required for sleep, but as cortisol levels rise, melatonin is held back and doesn't do its job. Do yourself a favour, have a rule (8pm for example) for your final customer email or Instagram post, and consider reading, playing with the kids or chatting to your partner throughout the evening instead. Ideally, it would help if you put down all electronic devices an hour before you wish to go to sleep.
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Sleep is crucial for maintaining your bodily health, but it also helps you psychologically too. You may have more trouble sleeping if you suffer from a mental health problem like depression or anxiety. But a lack of sleep can also increase your likelihood of developing a mental health condition.
For instance, you might lie awake at night going over things - maybe something is worrying you from work or a personal relationship. If you have a lot on your mind, feeling down, upset, anxious, or worried only increases your negative feelings the next day due to your lack of sleep. Your attitude may shift, and you might discover you're depressed. The good news is that getting more rest can help to enhance your well-being and emotional health.
Of course, when it comes to mental health, more can be done than sleep; however, it's a vital element of your brain's welfare.
Tradesmen and women are some of the most creative and innovative professionals around. That's why, when it comes to your sleeping pattern, you can try different techniques to improve your rest. For starters, the influence of your surroundings will dictate whether you can fall asleep fast or not. Focusing some attention on your bedroom's decor and atmosphere will greatly help, as you spend a lot of time in this room - you want it to feel relaxing and comfortable. Consider removing screens from your bedroom, installing some house plants and trying to keep the room cool in temperature and darker than other rooms.
Secondly, when you work on-site all day, dealing with clients, managing supplies and more, you can relax and unwind by listening to calming music when you are ready to sleep. Listening to music styles like meditation or deep sleep playlists on Spotify will allow your body to switch off slowly and breathe slower. All of this contributes to lower blood pressure and a slower heartbeat allowing for a relaxing night's sleep.
Finally, one thing you should consider when trying to enhance your sleep is your mattress. Shopping around and spending some extra cash will allow you to have a lovely night's kip and make it easier to fall asleep - no need to count sheep when you have a quality mattress.
We wrote a helpful article for more information on looking after yourself outside of work.
We hear you, "I work in a physically demanding job, why do I need to do more exercise?!" You’re 100% right; however, your physically demanding job is a different type of physical exertion than targeted exercise. The right training will lengthen your sleep and enhance your overall sleep quality. Whether it's going to the gym or simply getting outside and keeping your body active, it helps aid your sleep and makes you ready for the next day on the tools.
What's more, exercise lowers stress levels, which, as we shared above, causes your mind to gradually turn off from work, resulting in a much better night's sleep. You can temporarily disconnect from the workday and clear your thoughts by taking a quick walk before or after work or a short run during lunch.
Simple adjustments will make your sleeping pattern much better, ultimately setting the following day up for success. Living life in the fast lane as a tradesperson or business owner means that your mind will be on the go all the time, so ensuring that when you do switch off, you get adequate rest will give you the ability to perform at your very best.
Having the right insurance in place will help you sleep easier at night, too!
If you would like to purchase new trade insurance but have wondered who to trust, Rhino Trade Insurance is a trade-specific broker that provides top-notch protection at an affordable price.
Interested in knowing more about our policies? You can find all the information you require on this page of our website, or you can contact our amazing team on 0116 243 7904 if you have any questions.
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Confused about Public Liability Insurance? We’ve got you covered. Learn how this essential policy protects your business from accidental damage and injuries, why it’s important, and how you can get affordable cover tailored to your trade with Rhino Trade Insurance.
In this guide, we'll delve into the risks shopfitters face, explore the types of insurance that can offer protection and explain why many shopfitters trust Rhino Trade Insurance with their business needs.
Are you a carpet fitter? Do you work for yourself? If the answer to both those questions is yes, put down whatever you’re doing and keep reading. Your business will thank you for it.
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