You’ve enjoyed the weekend & now it’s time to get back to bed and have a good night’s sleep. When you try sleeping, you find yourself a bit anxious because you cannot sleep. Your mind is consistently churning thoughts about the busy week coming ahead.
How your Monday will be? What workload you’ll face at the job? More of such thoughts keep pouring in. Such sleeping troubles become every Sunday night routine. What’s causing this?
3 Common Causes for Sunday-Night Sleep Disturbances
- Anticipating the Upcoming Week May Trigger Anxiety & Insomnia
Why is Sunday stressing you so much? Your entire week goes well, even the weekend. And when you’re trying to sleep, your brain is making you anxious with the week that’s coming ahead.
For instance, you’re thinking about the irritating co-worker who isn’t letting you finish your task on time. You may be feeling overwhelmed about the busy Monday. In other words, the weekdays are not exciting you anymore & the thought of ‘catching up’ just because you have to be draining your sleep.
If you’re wide awake even after 20 to 30 minutes of trying to fall asleep, you may be up for the next hour or two. It will add up to your sleep debt & you may not be able to wake up the next morning on time. This makes you feel lazier the next day.
For such continuous anxious thoughts, all you need is to practice relaxation techniques with breathing exercises. Breathe-in, breathe-out and distract yourself from such thoughts. You may also consult a doctor & ask if you can start using Modalert to bring your sleeping schedule back on track.
- Sleep Initiation is mostly patterned by Weekend Sleep
Weekend sleep pattern changes could be the major reason behind Sunday Insomnia. You’re busy binge-watching, hanging out with friends, or enjoying late-night parties. And when Sunday is about to end, you’re worried as you’re sleep-deprived.
If you’re a working mommy, you’ll have to wake up early, prepare breakfast, get kids ready for school, and the routine tasks start shooting. The more you delay your bedtime on weekends, the more your weekday start is likely to be disturbed.
Talking about technical aspects of the sleep cycle, our sleep is usually enhanced by two processes – Homeostatic Sleep Drive & Circadian rhythm. The longer you stay awake, the more sleep desire you cultivate. You’re more likely to feel sleepy after consistently staying awake for 30 hours. When you’re off to bed, you’ll fall asleep quickly. Such wakefulness develops sleeping desires & you’ll get more sound sleep than you experience regularly.
Opposite to this, if you’re sleeping earlier than your usual bedtime, you’re diminishing your desire to sleep. For instance, if you sleep 2 to 3 hours earlier than your regular sleep schedule, you’re likely to wake up at night unexpectedly or wake up early in the morning. You may be left wondering why you’re awake this way. It’s all about the homeostatic sleep drive.
Next, the major contributors to poor Sunday Night sleep go to our circadian rhythm. The light and darkness are naturally synchronized with our sleep patterns. The daylight activates us & if you’re lucky and maintain the sleep-wake cycle on weekends too, then you’ll be awake on weekends just like you wake-up every day.
So, don’t bother yourself by waking extra hours on Saturday night just because tomorrow is a Sunday. Try to sleep 7 to 8 hours as you do daily. Catching up on extra sleep unnecessarily on Sunday morning may ruin your coming week. You may have to use Waklert then.
- Afternoon Naps may be the reason for Diminished Sleepiness
You’re mostly lazy as the weekend arrives. When you have no plans for Sunday, you choose to take an afternoon nap just because you don’t get to rest during weekdays. Spending lazy Sunday afternoons with long & unwanted naps will diminish your sleep drive at night.
If you’re already suffering from insomnia, make sure you avoid afternoon naps. A power nap of 20 to 30 minutes is good, but prolonged naps like 2 to 3 hours is problematic. You may indulge in some fun activities instead & stay awake.
How to recover from Sunday Night Insomnia?
- Stick to your Bedtime routine on Weekends too
Don’t let a weekend sleep hangover ruin your upcoming week. The golden rule is to stick to your sleeping schedule even during weekends. Okay, you may sleep an hour late or wake an hour late the next morning. But, it should not be an extended sleep of 3 hours because of the weekend.
That’s the mantra of an Insomnia-free life.
- Stay physically active on Weekends
It’s the weekend & you’re lying all day like a couch potato. It makes sense some days, not all the time. Get up early & take the chance to have a walk or jog for at least 30 minutes. Not only it will change your mood, but bring an energetic vibe to your weekend.
- Limit Alcohol & Caffeine consumption
If you’re an alcohol or coffee-addict, it’s time to limit your drink intake if you’re serious about eliminating Sunday Night Insomnia. Don’t booze on weekends thinking that it’s fun. Also, avoid sipping coffee at least 3 hours before your bedtime. Believe us; if you’re using Modvigil, it will surely help you cope up better.
Final Thoughts
You now have a handful of tips that’ll help you combat Sunday night insomnia just as it should be. Don’t forget to consult your doctor if you’re still facing issues with sleep disturbances. Insomnia must be treated before it ruins your days, weeks, months, or years.
