An estimated 100+ million Americans have occasional sleep problems, of which 40 million have so-called "sleep disorders", and over 75% of the population is walking about deprived of sleep daily.
If you feel
exhausted while reading this short post, it is already happening to you...
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Sleep problems overview
Studies
suggest it only is getting worse with each passing decade, and there are no
signs of the problem becoming any better. In fact, over the past 5 years alone
there has been a staggering 33% increase in those of us experiencing difficulties
sleeping!
Can you
imagine what statistics in another decade will be like? Unfortunately, it does
not look like we are moving in the right way. (You can read additional
statistics at the following URL: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/.)
In our busy,
fast-paced society, it seems we are continuously moving, thinking, and
attempting to get "more" done. The first thing many of us think of
doing when we do have so-called "free time" is to catch up on a
little TV or perform some activity that we have "not had the opportunity
to accomplish", aside from catching up on our sleep.
And
increased quality and quantity of sleep is exactly what most of us really need.
Sleep
studies clearly reveal that not having the quality and quantity of sleep affects
our life in negative ways, sometimes substantially. It can transform the way we
perceive and experience our lives and the world around us in remarkable ways.
Some of the
following can assist us to determine when we might not be achieving adequate
quality sleep each night:
- Feelings of tiredness at some point throughout the day
- Falling asleep within a few minutes when going to bed\s
- Decreases in levels of intolerance and increased levels of hostility\s
- Reduced ability to concentrate\s
- Slowed reflexes\s
- Impaired judgment\s
- Apathy\s
- Unusual weight gain or loss
- Change in body temperatures that lead to feelings of chilliness\s
- Unusual levels of anxiety\s
- Falling asleep when inappropriate
- Reduced creativity\s
- Reduced ability to think logically or handle complex tasks
- Increased levels of self-consciousness with increased levels of anxiety
If you
discover any of these traits relate to you, you might want to sleep a bit
longer or sounder each night.
Amazingly,
one of the quickest methods to improve the quality of our lives and waking
hours, as the numbers reveal, is to simply obtain a better night's sleep. It is
such a simple answer to such a difficult situation.
If you are
experiencing difficulty sleeping, there are things you may do that can help
you very quickly. Yes, the following might seem clear to many people, yet
occasionally we miss the obvious. So, let's cover some fast and easy ones first.
Sleep problems management: avoid caffeine and nicotine
Reduce the
levels of caffeine taken during the day. Studies demonstrate that those who
experience insomnia already have a greater metabolic rate (usually 9%) than
those who are sleeping regularly.
It would
take around 4 cups of coffee to elevate a regular sleeper's metabolism to the
same rate.
From this
metabolic signal, although the person with insomnia does not feel wide awake
and shows all the signs of not attaining enough sleep, we can observe that a
person who drinks coffee actually on average is extremely physiologically
stimulated.
So, you
should decrease the levels of caffeine consumption throughout the day.
Obviously, we will not recommend quitting altogether, even though it can
assist.
Of course,
the last thing you want to do is consume caffeine within a few hours (three
or more) before attempting to go to sleep.
List of
products, including food and beverages, which may contain caffeine:
* Coffee - Brewed (drip or percolated), Instant, Many so-called
"decaffeinated" coffees
*
Tea - Brewed (drip or percolated), Instant,
Many so-called "decaffeinated" coffees
*
Cocoa
*
Chocolate
* Most Sodas: Including "Diet" and
"Clear" Sodas - Coke, Diet Coke, and many others.
Next,
nicotine intake can have a severe influence on our ability to get a decent
night's slumber. Just like coffee, nicotine is a stimulant.
Smoking is
the primary technique of absorbing nicotine. Smoking can raise blood pressure,
boost brainwave activity, and increase heart rate.
Studies have
found that smokers actually have greater difficulties in sleeping and wake up more times during the night. The latter is probably a symptom of
withdrawal.
And, when people have quit smoking after
habitually smoking from 1 to 3 packs of cigarettes a day over at least two years, studies have clearly shown it is easier to fall asleep
and sleep more soundly with fewer awakenings at night.
Obviously, people are not going to just quit smoking, as most who have the habit recognize
how addicting it indeed can be. So, maybe limit your smoking intake and only do
it at particular points of the day.
Attempt not
to have any cigarettes close to bedtime and try, like the case with coffee, to
limit your usage to several hours before bedtime, which can help considerably.
If you want
to swiftly work toward getting a better night's sleep and you smoke cigarettes,
then quitting smoking is one of the easiest ways to assist reach your objective.
Sleep problems management: Bedroom sleep tips!
There are
many more things we may do; to obtain a better night's sleep, including having
a look at different areas of our bedroom or sleep settings.
Many of the
following tips will be subjective, so you should discover by focusing on a
handful and making modest modifications through time to what personally works
for you.
* Bed Sheets: comfort... Silk may be romantic, but not necessarily
practical. Your linens should "breathe" well.
*
Room Temperature: not too hot and not too
chilly. Some people find it simpler to keep the room cool and wrap up warmly in
their sleeping clothes. If your feet are cold... easy enough... wear socks.
*
Noise or Sound: the less the better,
although some people might consider an underlying, steady sound to help with
sleep.
*
Humidity: If you notice your throat is scratchy/sore,
your skin feels dry, or you have congested sinus passages, it can be because
your environment is too dry.
Whether
you feel warm, hot, or moist, you might want to investigate if there is too
much humidity in the environment.
*
Lighting: the darker the place, the better
the sleep.
*
Drafts: some people prefer a draught, while
it disturbs others. Keep a watch on this one for sore through or tight chest
while sleeping. It can suggest you have a draught in the room.
If
you can, open a window and let in some fresh air, as air can become stale while
stagnant.
*
Cleanliness: Ok, simple... keep things
clean. This can keep the air fresh and aid with sleep.
*
Bed Equals Sleep: Use and associate your
bed with sleeping exclusively and avoid any other activities. Read or do your
"home" work someplace else... not in bed.
Associating the bed with things like
work or even TV can keep us up at night. Associating it with calming
activities, sleep, or even sex, can help us fall asleep sooner and sleep more
soundly at night.
*
Clocks: the click-click-click of mechanical
clocks, the light from modern clocks, or just having a clock in front of us can
be a distraction. For some, the persistent sound of clicking can actually be
excellent for sleep.
*
Pillows and Mattresses: You should search
and discover what will fit you. The new memory foam pillows, however often
apparently pricey can be worth every penny.
Make sure they are excellent quality
products, high-density (about. 5lbs. per cubic foot) memory foam, as there are
a lot of cheap, lightweight memory foam pillows on the market nowadays.
With your mattress, don't hurry to take
your time and check that you can try a bed at home, so you can return it back
if it does not fit you.
* Biggest
sleep recommendation of all: Take your time and BE PATIENT with yourself. See
what works best for you. It's worth the effort.
Simply reading each of the above will
assist make you mindful of methods you might not have noticed in the past, and
this will lead to enhancing your own life, by attaining a better night's sleep.
These are
only a few factors about our sleep context that can help us attain a better
night's sleep and improve the quality of our life.
As the
statistics clearly demonstrate, most of us are walking around half-awake every
day, which means in all probability we are not living a higher quality of life than we could be and other parts of our lives can suffer.
Both psychical and psychological difficulties
can occur from not receiving adequate quality sleep.
Take the
following tips and run with them. Take your time, be patient, and uncover what
has helped others and how you can help yourself improve the quality of your
life through a better night's sleep.
It's time to stop the growth and reverse America's readily overlooked sleep pandemic.
If you have
any questions or comments, you are more than welcome. Hope some of these tips
help! They can truly improve the quality of your life. I am glad they
have helped better my life and many others. Sleep well!