The Importance of Sleep

By: James Smythe

In this day and age it is becoming increasingly likely that you
wont get enough sleep at night. Many people have a hectic
lifestyle, juggling a high stress job with family life, and
don't even think about trying to incorporate a social life in
there. Every thing is going on so fast these days that no one is
ready to rest since they fear if they sleep someone other may go
ahead of him. Many have become so intellectual that they are
ready to change the rules of nature. They say that sleeping is
nothing but waste of time. But those who try to change the rules
of almighty have their own troubles.

The rule of the thumb is that the average adult needs
approximately 8 hours of sleep per night. This can vary
depending on the person though, some may only need 6 hours and
other may need 10. Some people will think they need a lot less
sleep than this of course. Margaret Thatcher famously needing
only 4 hours' sleep a night during her 11 years as the UK Prime
minister. However you may think you only need a few hours of
sleep but this will probably have health consequences on your
body.

It is reported that over 40 million Americans suffer from sleep
disorders, with 60% of Americans having problems sleeping a few
nights a week. Psychologists and other scientists who study the
causes of sleep disorders have shown that such problems can
directly or indirectly be tied to abnormalities in the following
systems: · Brain and nervous system · Cardiovascular system ·
Metabolic functions · Immune system Furthermore, unhealthy
conditions, disorders and diseases can also cause sleep
problems, including: · Pathological sleepiness, insomnia and
accidents · Hypertension and elevated cardiovascular risks (MI,
stroke) · Emotional disorders (depression, bipolar disorder) ·
Obesity; metabolic syndrome and diabetes · Alcohol and drug
abuse Groups that are at particular risk for sleep deprivation
include night shift workers, physicians (average sleep = 6.5
hours a day; residents = 5 hours a day), truck drivers, parents
and teenagers. Stress is the number one cause of short-term
sleeping difficulties, according to sleep experts. Common
triggers include school or job-related pressures, a family or
marriage problem and a serious illness or death in the family.
Usually the sleep problem disappears when the stressful
situation passes. However, if short-term sleep problems such as
insomnia are not managed properly from the beginning, they can
persist long after the original stress has passed. Each year the
cost of sleep disorders, sleep deprivation and sleepiness,
according to the NCSDR, is estimated to be $15.9 million in
direct costs and $50 to $100 billion a year in indirect and
related costs. And according to the NHSA, falling asleep while
driving is responsible for at least 100,000 crashes, 71,000
injuries and 1,550 deaths each year in the United States. Young
people in their teens and twenties, who are particularly
susceptible to the effects of chronic sleep loss, are involved
in more than half of the fall-asleep crashes on the nation's
highways each year. Sleep loss also interferes with the learning
of young people in our nation's schools, with 60 percent of
grade school and high school children reporting that they are
tired during the daytime and 15 percent of them admitting to
falling asleep in class. The following are some tips on how to
try and get the best nights sleep possible. 1) Go to bed and get
up about the same time each night and morning. If at times it
becomes late to sleep at night try to recover it by sleeping for
some more time in morning. Avoid going early in the bed. Go to
bed only after you feel sleepy.

2) Do the exercise regularly in the evening some three to four
hours before bed. See that you get at least 30 minutes of
sunlight exposure daily. Do yoga, meditation and gym early in
the morning. This is will help to give energy to work for the
whole day. The strained muscles will undoubtedly ask for rest at
night.

3) Have a long, warm bath or shower before bedtime. Follow
bedtime rituals. Listening to soft music read a book to calm the
body. Avoid reading violent news or watching suspense or horror
movies that will have brain thinking about.

4) Have warm milk before bedtime. Have dinner about two hours
before sleeping. Have water bottle besides you so that you don't
have to walk up to the water pot.

5) The bedroom area should be silent and as far as television is
considered should not be in bedroom. The room should have a
comfortable atmosphere. Put curtains where the light is piercing
in the room. Change the bed sheets regularly. The room should
have proper ventilation. Avoid having illuminated clock in
bedroom that makes you anxious and keeps you thinking about
time.

6) Avoid sleeping in afternoon. Avoid caffeine and nicotine in
all forms after lunchtime. Caffeine in coffee, tea, chocolate,
colas; other soft drinks should be avoided.

7) If you don't get sleep withinn 10-15 minutes and feel that
you can't get sleep leave the bedroom. Get on with some book or
watch television until you feel drowsy.

8) Some people have pills for sleeping try to reduce it and
continue till you get rid of it. If not controlled it just
becomes a habit. Proper care should therefore be taken and
physician should be consulted.

9) Recollect all the activities performed during the day. Note
down the worries you are facing and possible ways to achieve the
solution. This will remove the burden of your shoulders and so
you need not think of it as you go to the bed.

10) Main reason for sleep problems is stress. The relief from
tensions and anxieties often eliminates sleep problems.

11) Have light meal before bed. Eating heavily can cause adverse
effects.

12) Most people you have to travel across the globe through
various time zones in such cases they should practice the
timetable of that country in advance so that body gets
acquainted to the conditions to be faced in another country.

Some Useful Resources.

National Sleep Foundation http://www.sleepfoundation.org

American Academy of Sleep Medicine http://www.aasmnet.org

American Insomnia Association
http://www.americaninsomniaassociation.org

Sleep Research Society http://www.sleepresearchsociety.org

NIH National Center for Sleep Disorders Research
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sleep

Article Written by

James Smythe

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