Most people aren’t getting enough sleep, plain and simple. Seems like this is the important thing to realize and we don’t recognize that we are sleep deprived. Above all, we should know probably what sleep deprivation means.
Meaning of sleep deprivation
“Sleep deprivation, also known as insufficient sleep or in other words sleeplessness, is the condition of not having enough sleep. … A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness, and weight gain. It adversely affects the brain and cognitive function.”
As you see we all are busy in our lives doing many things at the same time. as a result, some of us couldn’t even take sleep at night and they certainly also have an early morning in their offices or workplace. Probably if we do this once in a while then maybe we don’t feel sleep deprived rather if someone is having this routine more than 15 days of a month then we can say that this person is surely heading towards sleep deprivation.
The consequences of sleep deprivation
The irony of it all is that many of us are suffering from sleep deprivation so consequently that we can work more, however, the drop in performance ruins any potential benefits of working additional hours.
In the United States alone, studies have estimated that sleep deprivation is costing businesses over $100 BILLION each year in lost efficiency and performance. Here’s another way to say it: meanwhile 95 percent of adults who get less than 7 hours of sleep on a routine basis moreover will experience decreased mental and physical performance.
The sleep-wake cycle
The quality of your sleep is determined by a process called the sleep-wake cycle. There are two important parts of the sleep-wake cycle:
1) Slow wave sleep (also known as deep sleep)
2) REM sleep (REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement)
During slow-wave sleep certainly the body relaxes, breathing becomes more regular, blood pressure falls, and the brain becomes less responsive to external stimuli, which makes it more difficult to wake up. REM sleep is to the mind what slow wave sleep is to the body. REM sleep is when your brain dreams and re-organizes information. Furthermore, during this phase, your brain clears out irrelevant information, boosts your memory by connecting the experiences of the last 24 hours to your previous experiences, and facilitates learning and neural growth. However, slow wave sleep helps you recover physically while REM sleep helps you recover mentally.
What is your sleep-wake cycle dictated by?
Answer: the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a biological cycle of different processes that happen over a time span of about 24 hours.
Here are some key points in the typical 24-hour cycle:
6 A.M. Cortisol levels increase to wake your brain and body
7 A.M. Melatonin production stops
9 A.M. Sex hormone production peaks
10 A.M. Mental alertness levels peak
2:30 P.M. Best motor coordination
3:30 P.M. Fastest reaction time
5 P.M. Greatest cardiovascular efficiency and muscle strength
7 P.M. Highest blood pressure and body temperature
9 P.M. Melatonin production begins to prepare the body for sleep
10 P.M. Bowel movements suppressed as the body quiets down
2 A.M. Deepest sleep
4 A.M. Lowest body temperature
Age-related sleep changes
When we are young, during that period we slept a lot, as a result, we take quality of sleep not only quantity. Therefore when we grew older and older, even more, we realize that our sleeping habits are changing. The quality of a sleep vanishes somewhere no matter we try hard to get sleep like childhood we can’t get it. Here is a cycle that describes it.
Important strings to pull in the right direction
if you want to increase the quality of your sleep you have to boost these three levers to that you can enjoy a good quality sleeping hour. These three levers are:
1) Intensity
it means the sleep-wake cycle and the two important factors of it.
2) Timing
We have to make a proper time and set that time for our sleep. Because changing sleeping time is not at all! We can’t take peaceful sleep on irregular timings.
3) Duration
the most important thing is duration similarly as we already discussed above that how many hours we should take sleep as per our ages
Measures to overcome sleep deprivation
Everything needs the effort to maintain its real face. Similarly, even more, our sleep needs an effort to be proper and healthy. We should follow some basic steps to achieve that.
Stop using caffeine
If you can’t go without your morning cup of coffee, so then a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is “No coffee afternoon.” As a result, this gives caffeine enough time to wear off before bedtime.
A big no to smoking or tobacco
Therefore, tobacco use has been linked to a long line of certain health issues and poor sleep is another one on the list.
Don’t sleep here and there, use the only bedroom to comfort yourself
If you don’t comfort yourself seems like you won’t be able to get a peaceful sleep. Some of us have this habit that when we feel sleepy we usually slept on sofas and on the floor and therefore when we feel uncomfortable when we go to our bedrooms. Seriously this is not a good habit at all! Hence when we slept on improper space, therefore, this thing disturbs our sleep quality. Even more, make sure whenever you feel sleepy just go to your bedroom and relax.
Make a habit to “power down” before going to bed
We should make this habit when we go to sleep, first of all, we should shut down our power devices or our mobiles so that its radiation won’t affect our eyes and brain. Hence therefore turn off the screens and read a book instead.
Exercises
We should make some time for exercise in our routine. It is a healthy way to keep your body fit and mind relax. We should do those exercises that are good for the body and brain.
Final thoughts on sleep deprivation
At the end of this topic, we should now focus on our sleeping patterns and timings. In the same vein, we sacrifice our sleep to achieve our goals or task but unfortunately, it seems like our sacrifice turns out in a negative way for us and furthermore we might be stuck in severe problems like sleep deprivation that causes physical and mental problems. most noteworthy, live healthy, follow a healthy routine and don’t neglect yourself for the sake of a better future imagines what if you will not be able to experience that. for the reason that health comes first!
