slєєp dєprívαtíσn : thє єffєct frσm lαck σf slєєp.
We all know that it's vital to get consistent, high-quality sleep. For example, you've likely noticed how your physical and mental well-being both suffer when you don't get enough rest, and perhaps you've read about some of the science that explains the importance of good sleep.
However, it turns out that most of us dramatically underestimate just how severe an impact sleep deprivation can have on our health.
If you're worried about your current sleep schedule and looking for ways to address bad habits or distractions, this article can help you.
We'll explore why this problem is so significant, considering six of the worst impacts it has on your health.
We'll also highlight the main causes of sleep deprivation, and ultimately explain how you can make changes that help you sleep better. With a combination of new habits, you could be feeling healthy and well-rested within the next few weeks.
What Causes Sleep Deprivation and Lack Of Sleep?
When we look at the causes of sleep deprivation, there are three main contributing categories - illnesses, external stressors, and particular behaviors that disrupt sleep. Let's think about illnesses first.
Some of the problems here are fairly intuitive - it's hard to fall asleep (and stay asleep) when you have a bad cold or flu that causes you to feel sore and sneezy.
Chronic illnesses can interfere with your sleep for similar reasons - conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia make it tough to get comfortable.
Plus, some people simply suffer from unexplained insomnia, a condition that persists no matter how much they want to fall asleep.
Meanwhile, the kinds of external stressors that can interfere with sleep include worries about work or relationships, as well as irritants in the environment. For example, perhaps there is construction work outside your building, it's too bright in your room, or you have noisy people living next door.
Bad Habits That Cause Lack Of Sleep
While the above health problems are involuntary, it's likely that you also maintain some habits that disrupt your sleep. Here are some common examples of behaviors that make it more difficult to fall asleep and may also lead to lighter, less restful sleep:
Exposing your eyes to blue light before bed: If you scroll through your social media feeds, play games, or read the news on your phone or laptop before bed, the blue light from the screen is proven to interfere with the production of sleep hormones.
Consequently, you're less likely to feel sleepy, and you're more likely to wake up multiple times in the night.
Using your bedroom for things other than rest: If you work in your bedroom, exercise or do anything else that is mentally or physically active, your mind fails to properly associate your bed with sleep.
In contrast, if you just use your bedroom for sleeping then you cultivate a habit of feeling ready to switch off whenever you step into the room.
Ingesting sugar or caffeine: Whether you drink coffee or soda too late in the day or find yourself tempted by a sugary snack, it's important to note that both sugar and caffeine keep you alert past the time when you really need to be falling asleep.
Trying to go straight from work to bed: It's important to set aside time to slow down, relaxing your body and mind.
You can't expect your brain to transition from hard work and focus on being ready to rest.
What Are The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation?
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
- 0-3 months: 14-17 hours
- 4-11 months: 12-15 hours
- 1-2 years: 11-14 hours
- 3-5 years: 10-13 hours
- 6-13 years: 9-11 hours
- 14-17 years: 8-10 hours
- 18-64 years: 7-9 hours
- 65+ years: 7-8 hours
How To Sleep Better
One obvious thing that you can do to facilitate better sleep is to time and monitor the amount of sleep you're getting, and correct it as needed. However, you may find that the issue isn't that simple - that you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, perhaps in part because of difficulty relaxing.
Here are three useful things you can do if you want to promote long, restful sleep that helps to make up for sleep debts and leaves you feeling good when you wake up in the morning.
Improve Sleep With Self-Hypnosis
Finally, if you want to improve your sleep habits and establish a restful routine, self-hypnosis is an easy, effective way to change your relationship with sleep.
Any form of hypnosis has the potential to send you into a deep sleep - consider the stereotypical image of the hypnotized person's eyes drooping as they stare that a swinging pocket watch!
However, we offer a specifically designed sleep hypnosis track called 'Improving Sleep', which helps you prepare your body and mind for deep, continuous rest.
Deep Sleep hypnosis is particularly good at slowing your thinking, helping you to stop negative or anxious spirals. And, importantly, sleep hypnosis audio recordings can't make you do anything you do want to do - sleep self-hypnosis only works if you already have the desire to sleep.
In addition, although you can listen to the recording every night, people often find that it quickly changes their relationship with sleep and is soon no longer required in order to relax.
So, if you're struggling to get enough rest and starting to feel the burden of sleep deprivation, self-hypnosis could be the perfect solution.
Comments
Post a Comment