—
The modern world is full of distractions and worries that can keep us up at night. Even stumbling through another exhausting day, it can be easy to allow those distractions to get in the way of fixing the challenges that cause poor rest. You are not alone in this; up to a third of American adults suffer from sleep deprivation.
Poor sleep is worthy of attention. Lack of sleep can disrupt your daily life and keep you from accomplishing what you want to do. Understanding what contributes to poor sleep and the impacts of disrupted sleep helps you take the steps necessary to resolve sleepless nights for good.
What Is Sleep Deprivation?
It’s an oversimplification to think of good sleep as merely managing to get shuteye for a set number of hours. Adults function best with seven to nine hours of sleep a night. You may not be getting the restful hours your body and brain require if your sleep is restless. While we all have moments of sleep deprivation, if sleep disruption is ongoing, the consequences can be severe. Poor sleep can also reveal underlying medical issues.
Causes of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation has many potential causes. It’s easy to stay up too late binge-watching a favorite show or be stuck late at work and need time to decompress. Factors like swing shifts or family obligations can disrupt schedules, making it harder to settle into sleep. Our bedrooms can be a culprit too. Sagging, dusty mattresses can contribute to disrupted sleep as we toss and turn to seek comfort. Sleep apnea, anxiety, chronic pain, and other physical and mental health disorders disrupt sleep.
Impact of Sleep Deprivation
Even in the short term, sleep deprivation can cause disruptive symptoms in your daily life, including poor memory, a lack of focus, mental fatigue, irritability, low energy, and risky decision-making. Restless nights contribute to drowsy driving, putting you at greater risk of accidents.
The longer you go without good rest, the more severe your symptoms are. Due to underlying medical conditions or genetic predisposition, some people may be more susceptible to more intense consequences from sleep deprivation.
Over time, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to severe medical issues. Much of the body’s regulation occurs during sleep. Disrupting those processes impacts nearly every system of the body. Insufficient sleep leads to:
- Increased risk of diabetes as a lack of sleep impacts the body’s sugar regulation.
- Heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke become more likely.
- A weakened immune response.
- Hormonal imbalances, usually regulated during sleep, can impact many body systems.
- Higher pain levels, particularly in those who already struggle with chronic pain.
- Significant challenge in managing mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and others.
Get Back to Good Rest
Fortunately, there are some ways you can address challenged sleep, reduce health risks, and improve your ability to navigate every day with confidence.
- Investigate Medical Causes. Talk to your doctor about your sleep disruptions. They may run tests, including a sleep study, to rule out underlying factors causing your lack of sleep.
- Build Better Habits. Set a consistent bedtime and follow a set routine each night. Routine is a powerful tool that can tell your brain it’s time to wind down and get ready for rest.
- Support Sleep with Lifestyle Changes. Limit alcohol intake, as it can disrupt sleep. Avoid caffeine after lunch, as it can linger in your body for hours after consumption and make it harder to rest. Seek out the sun to support your circadian rhythm. Move more to encourage better sleep.
- Tune Out. Step away from electronic devices an hour before bed. If you must, use a blue light filter.
A Restful Bedroom
A critical component of your nightly repose is your bedroom. Creating a comfortable space is essential to a good night’s sleep. If your bed is older, it is contributing to sleep disruption. Start with a better mattress. A newer hybrid mattress offers you firm support. It has a softer cushioned surface with memory foam that pulls heat away from your body and resists microbes to ensure your bed isn’t making it hard to breathe every night.
If you haven’t shopped for a mattress in some time, you’ll discover various options. We all grew up on innerspring mattresses, which use metal springs to provide support. Memory foam is adaptive to conform to body shape, doesn’t transfer motion, and comes in various comfort levels. A hybrid mattress offers the best of both, with an innerspring core and memory foam top.
Your bedroom should be a haven away from the cares of your day. Keep your bedroom tidy and fill it with decor that brings you a sense of peace. Consider swapping to adjustable lightbulbs to dim lighting as you prepare for bed and removing distracting electronics.
Make sleep a priority, and you’ll reap immediate rewards with each newly energetic day.