This says about your sleep pattern about your character
The theme of sleep came back into my life. Because my dear Holland's Next colleague Fred van Leer during our entire filming period ‘exactly did not’ or at least ‘very little’ slept and I during my return flight suddenly changed from the best sleeper ever into a person who stays awake, I started to browse the worldwide web and came across some particularly fun facts. If I may say so myself.
Morning people are happier than night owls
Let me be a pretty big morning person. Just like Anna Wintour (always gets up at 5:00 AM so she has a nice head start on the rest of the world) and singer Anouk by the way. Morning people also seem to be better rested because their ‘sleep schedule’ fits better with the night owls among us. They naturally want to stay in their beds longer and thus suffer from ‘social jet lag.”
Night owls take more risks
I'm not making this up, there's been scientific research done by the Pediatric Sleep and Research Center at Saint Louis University. Night owls are more creative and are more up for a bit of adventure, excitement, and often seek new things. Maybe also because that one drink gives you just that little push in the right direction. Because night owls tend to live more on a drink and a cigarette than on a sandwich with old cheese and a cup of buttermilk.
Worriers don't sleep
That's an obvious one, those who toss and turn keep rolling. People who can't turn off their brains may have trouble falling asleep.
Extroverted people sleep better
It probably has to do with the fact that when you have let things out (because you're extroverted) you worry less and thus sleep better.
How then?
I understood during that, incredibly long, flight for the first time what it feels like when you really want to sleep but just can't. It's maddening. I found some tips from my friends at Huffingtonpost.com that I didn't know yet.
Get out of your room
If you have been awake for more than twenty minutes, you need to get out of bed. Otherwise, your mind associates your bed with not sleeping and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You don't want that. So have a cup of tea and then try again. And DO NOT check your laptop or your phone in between because you will wake up from the light coming from your devices.
Cold and dark
That must be the case in your bedroom. Ensure a cool room, preferably 18 degrees, and invest in dark, heavy curtains. You won't hear the sounds from outside anymore either.
Do something boring
The Evenings by Gerard Reve is an excellent way to relax and reach sleep through an exceptional state of boredom.
Ensure a sleep rhythm
Sounds deadly boring and terrible, but it really, really, really seems to be better if you have a fixed ritual before going to sleep. Taking a bath, lighting a candle, reading, a little bit of cuddling and then closing your eyes.
Or you take a very small sleeping pill so you have a good night and regain confidence for the other sleep adventures. That last one is mine, by the way. Not from the high gentlemen of the Huff.
