Are You Getting Enough Sleep? Tips And Tricks For Catching More Zzz’s!
According to recent research, people are generally not getting enough sleep during the night. From daytime drowsiness to issues with diet and eating, not getting enough sleep can wreak havoc on your health and cause real interruptions to your lifestyle, if not alarming threats to your health. In order to address sleep issues, it’s important to understand why sleep is so important and what you can do to ensure that you get enough good-quality sleep.
Why Is Sleep So Important?
Sleep plays a critical role in how your body performs and functions. From hormones to brain activity, good quality sleep helps your body regenerate in the right way. Sleep is responsible for healing and repairing your blood vessels and heart, regulates the healthy doses of your “full” and “hungry” hormones, ghrelin and leptin, affects how your body reacts and processes insulin, and promotes healthy growth and development. Not getting enough sleep or suffering from disrupted sleep can lead to a myriad of major health issues, some of which can be life-threatening.
Health Problems From Lack Of Sleep
In addition to causing cognition and mood issues, long-term sleep deprivation can lead to some very serious health issues. The longer the issues go unaddressed, the more dangerous the health issues can become.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Obesity and weight gain.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Diabetes.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Cardiovascular disease.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]High blood pressure.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Extreme fatigue.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Reduction in sex drive.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Skin aging.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Memory and cognitive impairment.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Risk of accidents or injury.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Lack of judgement.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Mood disorders, anxiety and depression.
Possible Causes
There are a range of causes for lack of sleep. From too much time online to emotional disorders or sleep disorders, the reasons can vary and should be addressed with a physician. It’s important, however, to eliminate lifestyle choices and environmental factors that might be leading to sleep deprivation. Causes for sleep deprivation include:
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Lifestyle choices.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Unusual work schedules.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Chronic, bacterial and viral illnesses.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Medications.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Having young children.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Poor sleep environment or bad sleep hygiene.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Sleep disorders.
What To Do
If you are feeling exhausted during the day and severely sleep deprived, it’s time to get help before you start having health issues. Talk to you doctor about possible causes. If your spouse or family member has noticed that you have issues with snoring or you stop breathing while you are sleeping, it may be time to get evaluated for a sleep disorder. There are some other tips and tricks that you can follow to ensure that you practice good sleep hygiene and have an ideal sleep environment.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Sleep in a cool, dark room that is void of electronic lights. The ideal temperature is 66 degrees.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Don’t drink alcohol or caffeine several hours before bed.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Wear earplugs if you have a noisy environment.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Use relaxation techniques such as taking a hot bath, listening to soft music, or practicing meditation.
[if !supportLists]● [endif]Try a supplement to help aid in sleep.
sleep aid combines Melatonin and 5 HTP. Melatonin is a potent antioxidant that defends against free radicals and studies show that it may be associated with the regulation of sleep and wake cycles. 5HTP provides support for positive mood and healthy brain function.
