Sleep Deprivation Some Causes and Affects
Sleep deprivation causes millions to suffer every day. But there are many different causes for this. We are going to look at the different choices we make in our lives that could be the reasons for losing sleep.
I hope this will help you make an evaluation in order to see where the problem lies.
Some self-diagnosis may help you to pick out your problem area and fix it easier than you thought. It is important to find the root cause of your issue.
Because some disorders, like apnea, have real physical cures that can be applied right away, like loosing weight or using a CPAP machine.
Unlike a disorder such as insomnia that might be caused by a physical, psychological, or even environmental issue. It could go away after a few nights sleep using medication or might have deeper issues that need to be addressed but are a lot harder to determine.
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Is Sleep Deprivation Caused By The Way I live?
This question can be one of the easiest ways to solve your sleeping issues. Lots of people find there sleep deprivation comes from their lifestyle choices or lack of.
For instance do you drink alcohol before going to bed? Sometimes one or two drinks aren’t bad and may help you fall asleep. However, too much will not allow you to get a proper nights rest.
You see, even though you may fall asleep and sleep through the night, you won’t get to a deep level of sleep. There are five stages of sleep the last being (REM) known as rapid eye movement. This is where you start dreaming but we don’t stay at that level all night.
You start to cycle back up to level 2 or 3 and then back down to level 5 this happens through out the night. But alcohol will prevent you from reaching level 5 maybe level 4 also so you will not get a restful sleep.
Do you take naps during the day causing you to be rested before bed? Do you drink coffee or soda with high caffeine content before bed?
These are some of the things you need to be aware of. A simple change could get you back to a normal sleep cycle.
Do you work a night shift? Some people who work the night shift never get used to sleeping in the day. This of course is a dilemma if you can’t get a shift change. Sometimes people like police officers don’t have a choice on what shift they work.
For people like this, they need to be aware of the signs of sleep deprivation before they have a serious accident.
Some Symptoms Are
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Stress
- Depression
- Hallucinations
- Mood swings
One thing to remember is sleep deprivation is not a sleep disorder. Sleep deprivation is the result not the cause. So it is an important distinction to make when examining the reasons for missing sleep.
An example is you could be experiencing sleepless nights because of some stress in your life.
If you recognize this, and remove the stress, you can get back to a natural sleep cycle. However, if you let it go on without treatment, then it could develop into a sleep disorder such as insomnia.
That is why it is critical to find the reason why you’re loosing sleep, and treat it before it becomes a more serious situation.
Diet and Exercise
How about an exercise program? We have all been told to stay healthy by eating right and exercising regularly right? Did you know this could also apply to getting a good night sleep?
A lot of people have this pent up energy even after working all day that can materialize in the form of insomnia. It is possible that a brisk half hour walk a couple of hours before bed could be the answer.
For some maybe a more aggressive workout routine either before or after work could do the trick.
It’s a good idea to take a look at your eating and drinking habits especially before bed. Make sure that none of the ingredients could act like a stimulant.
This could be the reason you are having trouble sleeping. Food, exercise, working habits, these are some of things in your lifestyle you need to look at. This can be one of the easiest ways to deal with, and put an end to the sleep deprivation you are experiencing.
Medication Friend or Foe?
If you have decided that it is not your lifestyle choices that are causing the symptoms of your sleepless nights, then the problem is a little deeper and more than likely a little more difficult to fix.
At this point most people start thinking about taking medications either over the counter or prescriptions from their doctor.
Drugs can work as long as it is fast. What I mean is, if you get back into a natural sleep cycle within one or two weeks. If that doesn’t happen, then seek alternative solutions.
There are the long-term affects drugs can have on you, like addiction and building up a drug tolerance that requires you take more or stronger drugs. This is not an ideal situation and is the reason why you should avoid drugs if they don’t work quickly
Of course always check with your doctor first before taking anything. Like I said, medications can help but if they don’t get you into a natural sleep cycle quickly then stop.
You should be back into a normal sleep rhythm and this should continue without the need for medication.
If this is not the case you need to find another answer to your problem. Losing too much sleep can become a huge health risk.
There have been plenty of sleep studies done with students from many colleges through out this country and others, that verifies that other health issues are likely to occur.
There was a test done with rats that were kept awake only to die after a few days.
Sleep deprivation is serious business and should not be taken lightly. Especially if you have been missing sleep for an extended period of time. Losing sleep can be emotionally draining and have serious effects on behavioral patterns and brain function.
If you would like to find a Natural way to get back to sleep Visit SleepTracks.com and discover a natural drug free way to get back to sleep tonight