Sleep Deprivation Could be Changes in Lifestyle
Sleep deprivation can be the result of having a particular sleep disorder or some outside factor you haven’t considered. Today we will look at lifestyle and try to get some answers.
Do you have trouble sleeping? How long has this been going on? If it just started and has only been a few days or even a few weeks, it could be some changes you have made in your lifestyle recently that is the cause.
So we need to find out what has changed in order to find the cure and get you back to a natural sleep. You need to address the lack of sleep before it causes other health risks.
There are many factors to look at so we will look at a few and if your answer is not there you will have an understanding on what to look for.
The first thing to think about is, have you made any new changes in your life recently? This could be physical, or psychological. Have you added and exercise program to your routine?
Exercise, besides being good for you, is actually recommended to help you tire your body out so you will get a good night sleep but are you exercising to close to bedtime?
Exercise will raise your metabolism and get your adrenaline pumping. This causes you to have more energy and is the reason most people workout in the morning.
So they can experience the energy boost for their upcoming day. Of course not everyone is a morning person and maybe your schedule doesn’t allow you the time in the morning.
If that is the case then you will need to workout after work. So here are some rules you should follow.
You should give yourself a minimum of three hours between working out and going to bed and even then you might have to experiment with longer times.
Like I said working out will increase you metabolism and give you energy not something you need close to bedtime. The ideal time is in the morning, if you can get up earlier and get in a workout it will give you energy for the day and you will be more restful come night fall.
Sleep Deprivation and What You Eat
Have you changed your diet lately? Foods or drinks high in caffeine or sugar can have the same effect as exercise to close to bedtime.
You will have to experiment with this, for some people, even if the last time they had caffeine was in the afternoon it still can affect them at night.
Have you just started something like a new job or taken on a responsibility that you didn’t have before and it is causing some stress or anxiety in your life?
Stress or anxiety over something will cause you to dwell on the issue and your mind will overwork but not in a good way.
When your mind is working during the day solving problems in the normal course of your working day without any undo stress, that is a good thing.
Believe it or not using your mind can wear you out as much as physical labor. This will make you very tired and you should sleep well.
However, when you go to bed with a problem or problems on your mind that you are anxious about, you will be doing all your thinking at bedtime and through the night.
This can have an adverse affect on your sleeping. When your mind is racing the body is not relaxing and you become very tense. After a while, you are not just thinking about your problem, you start to obsess about loosing sleep too.
The worrying that caused your insomnia in the first place is now doubled by the worry that you will not be able to sleep. This becomes a catch 22, you loose sleep because you worry and you worry because you are loosing sleep.
You have to clear your mind of the day’s events before going to bed. Remember, you have to deal with life when you’re awake not when your sleeping, it will all be there tomorrow so tonight it’s time to escape those problems.
Meditation is a great way clear your mind and get relaxed before going to bed. All you need is about ten minutes in a place where you won’t be disturbed.
Clear you mind of the day’s events and just think of being some place peaceful. Once you feel calm and relaxed it is time for bed.
Sleep deprivation should be addressed sooner than later and these are just a few ideas of where to look and how to cope with some of the issues that might be the cause of your sleepless nights.
So take a hard look at your daily routine including diet and you will find the reason for your insomnia.