Issue link: https://www.hub.camaf.co.za/i/948159
13 2023 EXAM STRESS GUIDE SLEEP WELL 1. Don't work in or on your bed - keep bed for relaxation and sleep. 2. 'Switch off' before going to bed: stop working at least an hour before you go to sleep and spend the time doing something more relaxing e.g. listening to music, talking to a friend, having a bath, doing relaxation exercises or taking a stroll. 3. If you stick to a regular bedtime and getting up time it will be easier to maintain good sleeping patterns. 4. Do not 'catastrophise' about not being able to sleep well, i.e., telling yourself that you will not be able to do anything the next day if you cannot get to sleep. Even when you are not sleeping much, you will still be able to function well, think logically and do difficult mental tasks. It is mundane, vigilance-type tasks that are mainly affected by lack of sleep. Most people manage to sustain sleep deficit over a few days before needing to 'catch up'. EXERCISE 1. Exercise should be a three-step process - aerobic work to shed fat, strength work to tone muscles, and stretching work for flexibility. 2. Aerobic fitness guards against stress- related disorders and heart disease. When you train aerobically - by running, swimming, or cycling, for example - you raise your heart rate and increase your body's consumption of oxygen, which will speed up your metabolism. Lean muscle tissue has a higher metabolic rate than fatty tissue - which means that the more toned you are, the more calories your body burns. 3. Remember to warm up and cool down before and after all exercise, to avoid risk of injury, increase flexibility and encourage long, lean muscles. Interval training - where you exercise at a comfortable pace, then speed up for short bursts - is the best way to improve performance and stamina.