There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that sleep is an essential part of having a healthy and functional lifestyle. Ever since we were young, many educators and parents would tell us that sleeping is key to growth and health. But as we grow older, the number of responsibilities and obligations that we have will start piling up. For many adults, the notion of “complete” sleep is now considered a luxury that only a few can afford, especially those with a more hectic schedule.
For professionals, sleep might seem like something that can only be enjoyed on the weekends when there are not that many responsibilities. For those that have anxiety and insomnia, it’s almost impossible to enjoy sleep.
Although many adults choose to stay awake to get things done, this can lead to sleep deprivation and affect our overall health in the long run. But how does insomnia affect our overall health? What makes it such a serious problem? Here’s what you’ll need to know when it comes to sleep deprivation.
What Is Insomnia?
But before we can discuss important prevention measures that we can utilize to mitigate the effects of sleep deprivation, we’ll first need to understand insomnia in the first place.
Throughout much of the medical community, insomnia is a disorder where individuals cannot get into a state of sleep. Although individuals can “force” themselves to fall asleep by closing their eyes, it’s still hard to maintain a state of sleep, which means that people who have insomnia won’t have the sufficient hours of sleep that they need.
Most individuals who experience insomnia will experience low energy levels in the coming days since they will have a disrupted sleeping cycle. Although this might seem like a simple disorder that can be easily remedied in a short period, this can cause a variety of health conditions. For many professionals, this can hinder productivity and performance at the workplace.
Insomnia is usually divided into two types:
- Short-term insomnia — As the name suggests, you might be deprived of sleep for a few days and weeks. Many factors affect short-term insomnia, including deadline, social factors, and anxiety.
- Long-term insomnia — This will usually linger for months, sometimes even reaching years, depending on the severity. Although it’s not necessarily acute, this can lead to health complications in the future.
Maximizing Your Comfort
One of the best and simplest ways of remedying insomnia is maximizing the comfort that individuals with insomnia have. Many individuals have their own “ritual” right before they go to sleep to maximize their comfort. This is especially true for meticulous people with their sleeping position and the quality of their mattresses.
That said, you’ll need to invest in having comfortable beds to maximize comfortability. Fortunately, some mattress stores are known for selling professionally-made and high-quality mattresses that will maximize users’ comfort. With these mattresses, you’ll fall asleep before you even realize it.
Key Changes to Your Lifestyle
Another effective way of preventing sleep deprivation is by burning excess calories and energy by making lifestyle changes. This can be in the form of exercise and meditation. Several studies have shown that exercising a few hours before sleep will help with sleep quality and make people sleep faster.
Behavioral Therapy
Lastly, one of the most effective ways of addressing insomnia is through behavioral therapy. It’s important to note that treating sleep deprivation will usually depend on the degree and severity. Although short-term insomnia won’t necessarily need treatment other than a lifestyle change, long-term insomnia will require more rigorous forms of treatment and medication. Most experts would advise addressing underlying medical conditions and psychological problems.
So far, behavioral therapy is known for helping people identify recurring problems with their sleeping habits. Different methodical approaches such as stimulus control can help make sleeping easier. Other types of therapy, such as cognitive therapy, can help individuals become even more aware of their attitudes towards sleeping.
Although insomnia might seem like a serious problem for many individuals, and most might suggest that they should “sleep it off,” it’s still a gateway towards life-threatening health conditions if it’s not addressed as soon as possible. You can still survive sleep deprivation for a couple of days since there’s a good chance that you might be able to sleep the next following nights.
Still, it’s important to remember that having prolonged periods of insomnia can cause long-term damage to both mental and physical health. That said, it’s crucial to address and identify any underlying symptoms of sleep deprivation early on. Just with any ailment, consulting a medical professional is the best way of remedying any disorder.
