How to Control Your Temper While Sleep Deprived

Steps

1. Be aware of the possible effects of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can mount up over a series of poor nights of sleep or can be caused by not getting sleep for one night. Your metabolism, age, personal willpower and other personal makeup will all determine how you respond to sleep deprivation. From the following list of problems associated with sleep deprivation, you'll see why it's easy to lose your temper when sleep deprived. The possible problems include:[1]
   • Increased susceptibility to accidents (due to poor coordination and sleepiness)
   • Increased susceptibility to colds
   • Rapid aging
   • Emotional problems (loss of control, anxiety, panic, depression, etc.)
   • Irritable, moodiness, reduced ability to cope with stress
   • Important information can't be retained
   • Poor judgment skills, poor concentration, and inability to make decisions
   • In the long-term, sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and death.
2. Accept that you need sleep and that it is your sleep deprivation driving your temper. Acknowledging that you are suffering from sleep deprivation can help to calm your nerves and can refocus your perspective, allowing you to let life's little moments roll off "like water off a duck's back". If you're struggling to maintain composure and not accepting that it's because of lack of sleep, it can be too easy to talk to yourself negatively and to blame yourself for not getting things right, which can put you in a foul mood.
3. Tell people. It's hard for people to know what's wrong if you're valiantly struggling to keep it to yourself. It's best to just let people know that you haven't had enough sleep and that you feel both tired and out of sorts. It will help them to be more understanding of what you're experiencing and they're more likely to give you a little latitude if you do manage to bite their heads off at some point (not that that is acceptable, of course). In turn, you'll relax a little more knowing you don't have to make a show of not feeling sleepy or being coherent.
   • If you're known for having a sense of humor, you could joke about it a little, saying something like "I haven't slept well all week, so today you'd better stay away from me in case objects start flying from my direction when I've really reached my limits." Otherwise, a simple, "The cat kept me up all last night having kittens, I've had barely an hour's sleep and I know today's going to be rough. So I'm just going to lie low and if you need me, please be understanding if I'm a bit grumpy today."
   • If you operate machinery, drive, or do highly complex work and you're sleep deprived, talk to your supervisor on arrival at work. You may be set lighter duties for the day or sent home because the risk of accidents is too high. If it's clear that this is a result of a build-up of poor sleep, you may also be asked to seek medical help and be given leave to deal with it.
4. Take breaks. Rather than doing your usual speedy, rushed performance, take it easy. Slink around the back of everyone and keep under the radar as much as possible, doing the bare minimum and taking regular breaks to recuperate.
   • If at all possible, grab a quick power nap. A 10 to 20 minute nap at your desk or in the work sick room can do wonders to perk you up for a few more hours. Try not to nap longer than 20 minutes, as that can leave some people feeling groggy and even more irritable.[2]
   • Take walks in the fresh air; five to ten minutes walking will be enough to wake you up a bit more and refresh you, whatever the weather.
   • Deep breaths in through your nose and slowly exhaling out your mouth can help make you feel more awake, if you can't get outside or take a nap. Fill your lungs as full as possible and exhale slowly.
5. Slow down when responding to people. Instead of responding to people by snapping, grouching, or blasting their heads off, simply slow down. Let the person know that you need a moment or two. As well, don't be afraid to ask them to repeat or rephrase whatever they've asked you so that you can digest what they're telling you.
   • Say something like: "I just need a second (or minute) to think", to buy yourself time to think over their request, demand, or information. This time to "clear your head" will ease any tension you feel, as well as blocking the desire to react with irritation or anger.
   • Avoid complaining beyond the bare minimum necessary at the moment. When tired it is easy to lose track of the extent to which one has talked about something and the purpose for which it is being talked about. This can be very wearing when the subject is negative.
6. Be careful in meetings. It can be easy to doze off in a meeting when you're sleep deprived. Ask a trusted coworker to nudge you awake if this happens, or to kindly shield you by strategically sitting between you and the boss or presenter. If it is noticed that you've fallen asleep, it is not only a bad look but it could set you off if you get asked questions and find you're unable to answer them. If that does happen, just smile and quickly excuse yourself as needing to visit the bathroom.
7. Try to keep your sense of humor and let it triumph over grumpiness. Instead of being explosive, aim for being a little like the happy drunk. Pick a word you think sounds funny and say it over and over until it loses all meaning; or draw mustaches on every face in the newspaper. Keep yourself in a good mood or frame of mind as much as possible. While some people might think your behavior is a little shallow, it's better than being considered angry, tetchy, and someone to keep well away from.
8. Avoid driving. This is the time to take that "taxi for a rainy day", to catch public transportation, or to call in a favor for a lift home. Sleepy, drowsy, and sleep-deprived drivers have accidents – according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (USA), sleepy drivers are involved in as many crashes as drunk drivers, often with more violent consequences because there is no chance to try to react when you're asleep.[3] If you are driving and notice the following signs, pull over where it's safe to do so and either call someone to collect you, or have a nap (if it's safe to do so):[4]
   • Your eyes keep blinking and you find it hard to keep them open, and/or your head keeps drooping and you find it hard to keep up.
   • You're yawning a lot, and/or rubbing your eyes.
   • You're drifting across lanes or hitting the rumble strips.
   • You suddenly realize you don't remember the last few miles, miss turn-offs, or you startle, and realize you've just been snoozing.
9. Prioritize sleep until you catch up. Your mood swings and negative thinking won't improve and stabilize until you've caught up on your sleep. As such, it's important to place getting adequate sleep as your number one priority until it's restored again. If that means missing favorite TV shows, meet-ups with friends, or double-shifts, then so be it until you're back to your normal self again, otherwise everything suffers.
   • It might help to keep a sleep diary for two weeks. This will help you to see where you're losing out on sleep and letting other activities creep in instead.
   • Limit caffeine intake; it not only reduces your ability to sleep but it can increase your irritability when combined with sleep deprivation. Paul McKenna recommends ceasing caffeinated drinks after 2pm each day.[5]
   • Switch off the TV one hour before going to bed and finish eating at least 3 hours before bedtime.[6]
   • Keep your bedroom dark at night and free of all distractions. Having distractions can cause you to feel irritable if you can't choose between stopping them and feeling obliged to go to sleep. This is why it's important to keep your bedroom for sleep, not for gadget play.
10. Get help if you're unable to sleep regularly and find that you're permanently sleep deprived. Becoming habituated to being fuzzy, lacking concentration, unable to make decisions, and never feeling optimal as a result of sleep deprivation is not normal. It impacts you, your work, and every person who lives, works, and plays with you. You're an accident waiting to happen because your judgment, reaction skills, and concentration are all impaired, and this is not living; it's sleep-walking. Seek immediate medical help because there might be a serious underlying disorder such as apnea, narcolepsy, hypersomnia, or a disease. Take heart that sleep deprivation can usually be fixed and you won't recognize yourself after treatment.

Tips

• If using naps during the day, limit them to 20 minutes so as not to impact your ability to sleep during the night.[7]
• There are people who specialize in sleep medicine, if your sleep deprivation situation is really bad.

Warnings

• People might think you're drunk when you're sleep deprived; this can be reputation-damaging in work and social contexts.
• In the USA alone, sleepy drivers cause over 100,000 accidents every year, and sleep drivers are a threat to themselves, to passengers, to other drivers, and to pedestrians.[8]

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ Max Hirshkowitz and Patricia B Smith, Sleep Disorders for Dummies, p.16, (2004), ISBN0-7645-3901-9
2. ↑ Lisa Helmanis, Sleep better naturally, p.19, (2006), ISBN 978-1-74180-114-9
3. ↑ Max Hirshkowitz and Patricia B Smith, Sleep Disorders for Dummies, p.17, (2004), ISBN0-7645-3901-9
4. ↑ Max Hirshkowitz and Patricia B Smith, Sleep Disorders for Dummies, p.17, (2004), ISBN0-7645-3901-9
5. ↑ Paul McKenna, I can make you sleep, p. 187, (2009), ISBN 978-0-593-05538-0
6. ↑ Paul McKenna, I can make you sleep, p. 187, (2009), ISBN 978-0-593-05538-0
7. ↑ Lisa Helmanis, Sleep better naturally, p.110, (2006), ISBN 978-1-74180-114-9
8. ↑ Max Hirshkowitz and Patricia B Smith, Sleep Disorders for Dummies, p.17, (2004), ISBN0-7645-3901-9

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