Lack of sleep sucks

Do you find yourself suffering from a lack of sleep, also known as sleep deprivation? Do you feel sluggish, depressed, or ever a little bloated? Do you feel it affecting your mood, your health, and even your relationships with friends and  loved ones?

You are not the only one suffering from this major problem. Millions of people suffer with insufficient sleep every day. It is chronic and in some ways an accepted negative physical condition to live in. People take sleep deprivation lightly,  but it has very profound effects on your health, your effectiveness during the day, and your overall well-being.

You are not alone

You may be frustrated with your lack of sleep, but you are not the only one. Sleep deprivation affects many people. A 2005 survey by the National Sleep Foundation that 75% of adults had at least one side effect of a sleep problem, such as waking up at night or snoring, and 54% suffered from at least one side effect from insomnia.

It is estimated that 30-40% of the American population suffer from some form of insomnia, with 10 to 15% suffering chronically. People who directly suffer from sleep problems also affect their spouses/loved ones. It almost like second hand smoke.

Sleeping medication is a $2 billion dollar industry. People suffering from a sleep related problems is growing and is a widespread epidemic. Many people are affected by this same problem, you are not the only one.

Lack of sleep is a serious problem

There is a high price to pay for insufficient amount of sleep.

Lack of sleep is directly linked to poor health

With new research suggesting it increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. In one particular study published in the journal, Sleep, in 2004 found that women who had roughly 5 hours of sleep per night had significantly higher death rate than those who slept 7 hours.

Just a few nights of bad sleep is STILL detrimental

Another study found that people with 3 straight nights of sleeping for only 5 hours or less were more likely to have physical side of effects such as headaches, stomach problems, and sore joints. Having less sleep than 5 hours a day more days in a row could raise hormones linked with overeating and weight gain.

Sleep side effects get worst over time

Studies show that performance on tests of alertness and thinking actually gets worse the longer sleep deprivation lasts. No, we do not get “used to it.”

 Driving sleep deprived is like driving drunk

 While awareness for drunk driving is widespread, something just as dangerous goes ignored, driving while sleep deprived. And we all do it, studies show that 1 in 5 drivers admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conservatively estimates that about one hundred thousand police-reported crashes are caused by drowsy drivers each year.

Sleep deprivation has already been responsible for major catastrophes such as the space shuttle Challenger explosion and the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island.

Going about your day with a lack of sleep is dangerous to your health and the  safety of others. It’s already estimated to cost Americans over $100 billion annually in lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave, and property and environmental damage. It’s time to take this matter seriously, right now. Check out some of these lack of sleep side effects that you could be suffering from, right now.

How to get better sleep

Suffering from lack of sleep is frustrating, but it can be fixed. Here are some great tips on how to get better sleep.

Do not ever oversleep

Now this is very important. It is very tempting, when you are suffering from a lack of sleep that you will want to oversleep. But do not oversleep. This is not good for you. You want to get up the same time, everyday. During mornings that where you suffer from lack of sleep, it is even more important during these times that you do not oversleep.

The reason you do not want to oversleep is that this will reset your sleep cycle, it will cause you to sleep later at night, making it even harder wake up the next day.

Regulate your body clock

While this is a surprising effect, sunlight actually plays an important role in your sleep schedule. In the morning, the best thing you can do is get up, go outside and actually absorb some sunlight. If going outside is too difficult at the very least you can open up your windows and blinds to let the sunlight pour into your room.

Get some exercise

Get your butt off of the couch and get some exercise. Exercise is even more important when you suffer a lack of sleep the night before. When you lack sleep, you should be more active during the daytime. The less active you are the worse it is for you to actually get good sleep. Some vigorous exercise in the afternoon is the most ideal for promoting a good night sleep. Most insomniacs are actually very inactive in the few hours before bed, and so it is recommended that you get some exercise just before bedtime.

Stop taking naps

When you lost sleep tonight, you do not want to take catnaps the next day to make up for it. So when you do feel sleepy after a night of sleep deprivation. Instead of taking a nap, get up to something. Take a walk, make the bed. Do some chores, anything, but do not nap.

You want to get up and maybe even do some stretches or walk around the room. This will increase the oxygen output to your body and brain and keep you alert.

Maintain a sleep routine

It’s important to maintain a sleep routine. Just like anything else in life such as eating and going to work or school. You must maintain a routine to go to sleep just as you maintain a routine do anything else in life.

Another important note about three preteens, is that you do not want to sleep earlier to make up for a loss of sleep the night before. You actually want to go to bed later and the good sleep to maintain your sleep schedule.

Take a warm bath

While the best ways to get relaxed for a good night sleep is to take a long hot bath. This is better than taking a hot shower before going to bed, because the bath soothes you while showers, on the other hand, tend to wake you up. Try to avoid taking showers at night.

Dieting and sleeping

Definitely avoid caffeine and energy drinks. Caffeine and other related beverages can cause hyper activity in wakefulness. You want to avoid drinking these types of drinks in the afternoon, because it will make a very difficult for you to get a good night sleep.

Other than caffeine, you also want to avoid alcohol. While for many, alcohol can help you get to sleep, your sleep will actually be shallow and disturbed.

Is your environment disrupting your sleep?

Check your room temperature

It is better to sleep under cooler temperatures such as 65°. For instance, instead of turning up the heater during cold climates. Plop on more pillows and blankets and wear warm clothes to go to bed. It is easier to sleep in cool temperatures versus warm temperatures.

Disruptive or soothing noise

Noise can either help or disrupt your sleep. Some people prefer white noise such as a fan blowing or ocean sounds. However, for some noise can be very disruptive to sleep.

In some cases, a fan noise or soothing music can help block or drown out other disruptive noises. You may want to experiment with what works best for you. In more desperate cases you may want to try earplugs to help completely block out noise.

How many hours of sleep do you really need

The hours people need to sleep varies from person to person. For some, four hours is enough, while others may need 10.

Ultimately, you will have to find out what is best for you. Experiment with different sleep schedules, start with six hours or seven hours or even nine hours of sleep.

Lack of sleep is no fun. It sucks being tired and exhausted. We take good sleep for granted. But by improving your sleeping habits, eating better foods, and getting some exercise, anyone can easily get better sleep.