Sleep affects the brain, body, and mind. Thinking that you can manage a rough night’s sleep with a nice cup of caffeine-rich coffee is just wrong. Several studies have concluded that there is no substitute for a good night’s sleep.
As this article will discuss, sleep deprivation doesn’t only make you less confident. Still, it also causes memory impairments, lack of alertness, dryness, sleepiness, and more problems even when you miss out on one night of good sleep. And in case you are wondering, when you don’t get enough sleep for years, it could also result in chronic illnesses like heart attack, cancer, heart failure, stroke, and more severe problems.
However, this article will solely discuss the studies on the connection between sleep quality and self-confidence. Moreover, it includes some tips on improving your sleep quality.
A sixty-four-thousand-dollar question: does poor sleep really affect our self-esteem?
A 2013 International Journal of Behavioral Medicine study reveals that participants with inadequate self-esteem had lower self-esteem than the participants who slept for more than 7 hours. The same study also revealed that participants with inadequate sleep also had lower optimism and were more likely to see situations and things negatively. Moreover, inadequate sleep — six hours or less — made the participants more frustrated throughout the day, showed more signs of anger, and felt depressed for no apparent reason.
It’s fair to assume that sleep deprivation can adversely affect the mind and brain.
Several other studies published across scientific communities on the internet indicate the same. However, let’s not toil ourselves reviewing how participants’ behavior changed due to lack of sleep. Instead, let’s focus on signs of low self-confidence and learn how lack of self-confidence can affect day-to-day life and career. And after that, this article will discuss how you can get adequate sleep.
What are the signs of low self-confidence?
You may be dying to test the above study and review whether sleeping poorly affects your self-confidence or not. Well, here are some visible signs of low self-confidence. But note that don’t play with your sleep, get as much as possible.
Lack of control
People with low self-confidence often cannot control their lives and don’t know what is happening to them often. For instance, you may be trying to change your habits or something about your life but couldn’t. And that is because you are unsure whether you can do that or not. Guess what? This is what low self-confidence means.
Worry and Self-Doubt
Fretting over the smallest of things is a classic low self-confidence case. If you are always worried over the smallest of things like what you will have for dinner, which bus you’re going to take to the office, and so on, you are doubting yourself. In other words, low self-confidence.
Fear of failure and pessimistic self-talks
Fear of failure is something that even geniuses can’t resist. However, fearing so much that you do not even initiate the activity. Moreover, the very self-talk that helps fills people with confidence — if poorly done — can be detrimental in so many ways. So, observe your thought process and make it conscious.\
How lack of self-confidence can affect our day-to-day lives?
The signs mentioned above of low self-confidence are enough to show how things could go wrong if you are under-confident about your life decisions. Moreover, a lack of self-confidence can affect your social interactions and relationships. Be it your friends or colleagues; everything is directly related to self-confidence.
That said, let’s see how you can improve your sleep quality and boost your self-confidence.
Tips to improve your sleep
Circadian rhythm
The circadian rhythm is an inner biological clock that follows a 24-hour cycle recently introduced to us. Put simply, if you have a fixed time to go to bed, it could help you sleep better, avoid unnecessary lying on the bed, and improve the quality of your sleep. Your brain knows that it is sleep time and will adjust the mind and body accordingly.
Make your room sleep-worthy
You should align everything in your bedroom that lets you sleep comfortably. Be it the bed, lights, or temperature — every aspect could result in inadequate sleep. So, design your room or choose the room that allows you to get the best sleep.
Avoid blue light
One thing that people forget is that we haven’t adapted to blue screens yet. We are used to the dim starry nights before we get to sleep. So, as soon as the afternoon passes, try to stay in a dim environment. Plus, avoid using a mobile or computer at least two prior to going to sleep.
Avoid caffeine and nicotine
Eight hours before going to bed, ensure that you stay away from caffeine and nicotine to ensure good sleep. Moreover, you can compensate for both coffee and cigarettes with caffeine-free chamomile tea or green tea.
Get a comfortable mattress
Mattress affects your sleep in more ways than you can imagine. From comfortable position to proper body movements, adequate cooling to support the entire body, all depends on the mattress, so ensure that you have a mattress that suits your sleeping position.
Conclusion
Humans are supposed to spend one-third of our lives sleeping; that is how it is and should be. No matter what, you shouldn’t ever compromise on your sleep. As mentioned, less sleep is connected with everything — from low self-confidence and less productivity to poor memory. And although these may seem like small things that don’t matter, it is what shapes your lives.
