STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Addressing students during the morning assembly Principal JKPS Kunjwani, Rajesh Rathore made a clarion call to them to wake up early to reap the optimum benefits of their investment of time.
He asked them, ‘to develop the habit of early rising, do warm up exercises in the fresh air and walk bare-footed on the grass to energize themselves for the rest of the day’. He suggested some ways to change the sleeping/waking up habits gradually with the passage of time.
“It’s much easier to change your sleep pattern, if the change is adopted gradually. It is recommended by Sleep experts to advance the wake up time by 15 to 30 minutes every week until one reaches one’s goal. Acclimatization of thirty minutes is easier for our body in comparison to longer duration, namely, an hour or two hours,” he said.
He further added, “Sufficient sleep is absolutely essential for ensuring our sound mental/physical health. If we wish to reap the benefits of waking up early, then we must ensure hitting the pillow early in the night. In order to feel sleepy during the bed time, it’s advisable to avoid taking short naps in the afternoon hours. Besides, one may also develop the habit of reading something light/interesting before falling asleep. As the body gradually gets accustomed to wake up earlier, one starts falling asleep earlier at night”.
Reflecting on the inconsistent wake up habits of people on weekdays against weekends, he appealed the audience “to stay consistent, without disturbing the internal clocks”. “For example, if someone sleeps till 9 am on Sunday, but on Monday he/she wishes to wake up at 5 am, this four hour sleep lag will take a heavy toll on the body because it’s essentially robbing the body off the prime sleep”, he reasoned out.
“Since the body craves for consistency, so if you wish to establish a long-term habit of waking up in the early morning, you need to be consistent while forming the schedule all seven days a week”, he further added. “Schedule your dinner a few hours before your bedtime. That helps you digest before you hit the hay, as eating too close to bedtime can trigger acid reflux, which can disrupt your sleep”, he summed up.
He concluded by saying that if children become habituated to early rising, they can enjoy the beautiful sights and have more time to relax and rejuvenate. He appealed them to follow the golden rule: Win the morning to win your day!