How to Deal with Sleep Deprivation
Not getting your natural sleep for a full 8 hours can eventually lead to sleep deprivation, which is when your body feels starved for a healthy sleep session. Sleep deprivation is something nearly everyone has experienced at some point in their lives and can be caused by many factors. Cramming for a late night exam, staying up late playing games or socializing, caring for a sick child or being forced to go without sleep – such as those who join the military or a fraternity – can lead to drawn out fatigue during the day. The mental anguish may cause irritability or failure of normal cognitive skills, such as memory, comprehension and other mental requirements.
Whether your sleep deprivation is a one-time occurrence or recurrent, you may be tempted to try a sleep aid to achieve healthy sleep and get some Zzzz’s. Natural sleep aids may work better than pharmaceutical sleep aids and of course do not run the risk of becoming a dependency. One thing is certain, when your body is sleep deprived there is nothing you will look forward to more than a way to fall asleep fast and recover that lost time or lagging feeling.
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Aside from those unattractive dark circles under your eyes that reveal a telltale sign of sleeplessness, your body may also experience aching muscles, irritability, tremors, headaches, depression, memory lapses or lack of concentration, and more. What you didn’t know is that chronic sleep deprivation can affect your body adversely by deteriorating certain functions. You see, your body needs that full night of deep sleep to recover from the daily toil of mental and physical requirements.
Sleep deprivation and insomnia can cause adverse health results
Those bloodshot eyes are not your only concern. If not addressed and corrected, your sleep deprivation can lead to diabetes, obesity, fibromyalgia, temper tantrums, attention deficit disorder, migraines, tremors and even bouts of psychosis. Not to mention the sleeplessness routine will put your immune system at risk for colds and viruses, too. Yikes! These are not something you want to hear, no matter how important you think it might be to stay up late and work or do other things. You need a deep sleep; a healthy sleep as often as possible.
So, what can you do to deal with sleep deprivation and get the healthy sleep you need?
Consider the reasons for your sleeplessness occurrences and how often they happen. If you work two or three jobs, attend school or have small children then it’s up to you to squeeze in those much-needed sessions of deep sleep and stay healthy and strong. Here’s a few ideas to get more sleep:
- Say No – cut back on your commitments
- Practice Pranayama for best sleep
- Learn how to fall asleep fast by resting your mind before bed
- Cut back on caffeine and other chemical alterations
- Take advantage of naps whenever possible
- Stay hydrated and drink more water
- Use sleep science – plan activities around your natural energy levels
Everybody is different as they say, but as simple as it sounds, try going to bed earlier and eliminating some of the day-to-day stress that may lead to insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. It will be well worth it to awaken refreshed and renewed!
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