WHY YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Signs You Are Suffering From Sleep Deprivation

Getting enough sleep is essential for productivity and general well-being. Sleep deprivation has just the opposite effect. Health practitioners recommend that every adult should get 6-8 hours of sleep daily.

Needless to say, lying in bed for that time doesn’t mean you’re sleeping. Even if you think you’re getting enough sleep, you may be suffering from sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation is not only a cause for less productivity or bad health. It could also be the result of another problem – perhaps health or lifestyle.

The symptoms of sleep deprivation are not necessarily as clear-cut as you might think. In other words, it’s not just feeling sleepy all the time that is your cue that you’re short on sleep. So how do you know? Here are some clues.

Regularity

Everyone has trouble sleeping now and then. We all experience the occasional sleepless night and groggy morning. We may even go through a period when we experience these things, such as during life transitions and stresses. But sleep deprivation becomes a problem when it is a regular occurrence and is unrelated to circumstances.

Sleep Debt

Experts point out “sleep debt” as a way in which sleep deprivation can enter your life without you necessarily realizing it. Sleep debt is accumulated gradually and is said to result from an hour or more of missed sleep every night for several nights.

Sleep debt can get so bad that several nights of regular sleep are required to improve normal functioning.

Mood

Are you snappish and impatient? Sleep deprivation can make people very irritable, sources say. Do you find yourself having little tolerance for your own mistakes and those of others? It may be lack of enough sleep that’s the culprit.

Increased Appetite and/or Weight Gain

Did you know that sleep deprivation may increase your appetite and lead to weight gain? Perhaps the body’s need for energy when it’s sleep-deprived is what leads to a craving for the wrong foods. Increased appetite may also be the result of hormones that kick in when the body lacks enough sleep.

Even without a marked increase in appetite, research has shown that sleep deprivation can result in weight gain. This also may be due to hormonal imbalances caused by too little sleep.

Mistakes

If you’re not getting enough sleep, you may find yourself making silly mistakes on a regular basis. Mistakes like dropping things, forgetting dates on the calendar, messing up your schedule, etc., may signify a sleepy brain. Studies show that those who suffer sleep deprivation have a hard time performing normal tasks.

How do you know it’s the problem? You realize there’s no issue performing these tasks as long as you’re getting enough sleep.

Depression

As with other mental disorders, sleep deprivation may not be a cause of depression, but rather a symptom. However, some sources do point out that depression can result from a lack of enough sleep. Are you feeling depressed and can’t figure out why? You might want to take a look at your sleeping habits.

Illnesses That Can Cause Sleep Deprivation

Many times a sleep disorder can be caused by an illness or from the medications used to treat an illness. Some of the common health conditions that can cause a sleeping problem are:

Cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease includes congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease. These are the two most common heart problems that affect sleep and can cause a sleep disorder.

Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer pump enough blood for the body’s needs. Blood backs up in the veins of the heart that lead to the kidneys. Eventually, the edema damages the lungs and other organs.

People suffering from congestive heart failure have a very high risk of developing the sleep disorder of obstructive sleep apnea.

Coronary heart disease is the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, called atherosclerosis. This condition also can lead to obstructive sleep apnea.

Endocrine disorders

Sleep disorders can occur from endocrine disorders such as diabetes and thyroid disease.

Diabetes is a disease that affects the way the body processes and uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. People that have uncontrolled diabetes often develop the sleep disorder known and restless leg syndrome.

Thyroid hormones regulate the body’s energy levels. Hyperthyroidism can make it difficult to fall asleep, and cause night sweats for the person to wake.

Neurological disorders

Neurological disorders include Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and strokes. Parkinson’s disease is a central nervous system disorder. This disease causes problems with body motion, including tremors, unstable posture, slowed body movements, muscle stiffness, and difficulty walking.

Sleep disorders that occur with this disease include REM sleep behavior and sleep onset insomnia.

Alzheimer’s disease impairs the brain’s intellectual functions and is the most common cause of dementia. It may be why you lack enough sleep as it causes sleep fragmentation.

Epilepsy causes recurrent, sudden, brief changes in the normal electrical activity of the brain. People with this condition are twice as likely to suffer from insomnia and sleep deprivation.

Stroke may also deny enough sleep as it usually causes obstructive sleep apnea.

Respiratory disease

Respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, can also cause sleep disorders and lack of enough sleep. Asthma is a chronic lung condition that makes breathing difficult when air passages become inflamed and narrow.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), refers to a group of disorders that damage the lungs and make breathing difficult. Many people with these conditions lack enough sleep as they suffer from insomnia and sleep fragmentation.

Mental illness

Mental health problems may be a reason why you don’t get enough sleep. These problems include depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder. People with these mental health disorders often suffer from sleep fragmentation and insomnia.

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease, known as GERD, causes the stomach’s juices to flow backwards into the esophagus. This causes sleep fragmentation and lack of enough sleep.

Kidney disease

Kidney disease causes the kidneys to lose their ability to filter the proper amount of waste products from the blood. Thus, they can’t regulate the body’s balance of salt and water.

This can cause the sleep disorders of restless leg syndrome and insomnia to develop.

Arthritis

People with arthritis often find it difficult to get enough sleep because of the pain that keeps them awake. This often results in insomnia.

If an illness causes a sleep disorder to develop, the sleep disorder is secondary to the illness. Successful treatment of the primary underlying cause will usually diminish the effects of the sleep disorder.

Read: The 6 common sleep disorders

How Shift Work Leads to Sleep Deprivation

Many people that work during the night suffer from Shift Work Sleep Disorder, also known as SWSD. This disorder affects about one-quarter of the approximately 20 million people who do shift work.

People suffering from shift work sleep disorders perform many types of jobs. They include large numbers of workers in industries such as transportation, manufacturing, mining, power, and health care. Others are in emergency services including police and firefighters and EMTs.

Working a shift job forces your body to function outside its circadian rhythm. Thus, it may be why you suffer sleep deprivation as your circadian rhythms cannot fully adjust your hours. No matter how long you work at night, when the morning sunlight sends a signal to your brain to wake up.

A person suffering from this sleep disorder lives in a state of constant circadian disruption, and rarely gets enough sleep.

How to deal with the problem

There are several coping strategies for people with shift work sleep disorder. The most important thing is to recognize the importance of sleep and making it a priority.

Sleeping during the daytime can be very difficult for some people.

The number one challenge is going against the body’s natural circadian rhythm. The other challenge is the sunlight and the everyday life of the rest of the world.

Change bedroom setting

One thing you can do is to move your bedroom to an isolated place in the house. Additionally, try to make the room as quiet and dark as possible.

Avoid sunlight

It is best to try to avoid as much of the morning sunlight as possible if you plan to go to sleep right after your night shift. Wear sunglasses on the way home and try not to stop for gas or groceries.

The more sunlight you are exposed to, the more likely you are going to have a difficult time falling asleep.

Develop a sleep strategy

Another coping technique is to develop a sleep strategy. To get enough sleep, it is very important to set a specific time to sleep. If possible, it is best to follow the same sleep routine even on your off.

It is essential that family and friends know not to bother you during your sleep time unless it is an emergency.

Scheduling naps at specific times can be a great help in dealing with the sleep disorder that accompanies shift work.

Limit caffeine intake

Limit the amount of caffeine during the later part of their shift. Some people establish a caffeine cutoff time, after which they drink juice or water.

Warning: The use of sleeping pills for shift workers can develop into a dependency on them. Taking sleeping pills on a daily basis can lead to other health problems.

Not everyone is able to tolerate working during the night. If shift work is constantly leading to the lack of enough sleep, it may be time to find another job.

Read: The 6 most common sleep disorders.

Treatments for Sleep Deprivation Disorders

Did you know that sleeping pills are among the most widely used drugs in the United States, and their use continues to increase? Millions of insomniacs have to make the decision whether or not they are going to take sleep medication. This is a very big decision and should not be taken lightly.

Before you decide to take any sleep medication, you should usually discuss it with your health care professional.

Many people make the decision to take a sleeping pill because it offers relief from the symptoms. Additionally, it allows them to get enough sleep, and thereby improving productivity and quality of life. However, it is important that you consider the side effects and health risks that come along with taking sleeping pills.

Basically, there are two types of sleep medications for sleep disorders – prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.

Choosing the right pills

Every sleep medication affects the body and the individual differently. Things to consider are how quickly the pill will take effect and how long the effect will last. This is very important to know because the effect should match and address the needs of your sleep problem.

For instance, fast-acting drugs would benefit those who have difficulty falling asleep. On the other hand, longer-lasting pills would better benefit someone who has difficulty staying asleep.

Other important factors include the:

• Impact of the medication on sleep quality.
• Your tolerance for the drug.
• Possibility of developing a dependence on the drug.
• Side effects associated with the drug.

Each of these points has to be considered when deciding to take any sleep medication for your sleep disorder.

Read: How to manage sleep disorder with diet & exercise

Many over-the-counter sleep medications contain some type of antihistamine as a primary active ingredient. Antihistamines are widely used to treat allergies and they are also effective in helping people fall asleep. However, there has been little research done on their long-term effectiveness or safety.

Before choosing a sleeping medication, it is very important to determine the source of your disorder. For example, if you have insomnia, perhaps it’s resulting from another treatable illness.

It could also be a side effect of a medication that you are already taking. The insomnia is then called secondary insomnia. Then you should focus on medication to treat the primary illness. Often your insomnia will disappear once the underlying cause is treated and you’re able to get enough sleep.

Whatever you decide to do, just remember the most important thing is to gather as much knowledge as possible.

Natural Options for Sleep Deprivation

There are, thankfully, quite a few natural methods for dealing with insomnia. Many people find relief in herbal remedies, lifestyle adjustments, and exercise. Once you’ve checked with your health care provider about possible medical causes for your insomnia, you might try some of these natural treatments for insomnia.

Herbal Remedies

Herbal teas and supplements are said to be a gentle and effective way of bringing on sleep. Herbs with a reputation for promoting sleep include the following:

Chamomile – This is a long-held remedy for sleeplessness that is exacerbated by nervousness and anxiety. Drinking a cup of chamomile tea in the evenings before bed may be all you need – but it can have a slight diuretic effect, so drinking a cup an hour or so before bed might work better.

You may also find it beneficial to drink it throughout the day, hot or cold, or mixed with other beverages.

Valerian Root – It makes an unpleasant tea, but many people have had significant success with taking valerian root capsules. Valerian is a natural sedative.

Lemon Balm – In contrast to valerian, lemon balm tastes very good and makes a lemony tea. Like chamomile, drinking a cup in the evenings may help promote sleep. You could mix it with chamomile tea as well.

Lifestyle Changes

Insomnia can sometimes be managed by making adjustments to your lifestyle. Here are some ideas.

Exercise regularly – This is one of the best ways to get your body into balance and help you relax at night.

Cut out caffeine, even if you think you need it every day.

Quit smoking – Smokers tend to have more sleep problems than non-smokers, sources report.

Avoid some foods – Cut back on sugar, artificial colors, preservatives, and artificial flavors. These substances have been implicated in hyperactivity and other mood and mental imbalances.

Tips on Getting Enough Sleep

It’s easy to point to your schedule as the reason why you can’t get enough sleep. By the time you get a free moment, it’s bedtime, and you really don’t want to go to bed just yet. You decide to take some downtime, then you stay up too late, and the cycle continues.

There are all sorts of other reasons, too, for not getting enough sleep. Maybe you have a spouse who snores, or you just have trouble sleeping once you do get to bed, for whatever reason.

In this case, it’s important to make time and create the right environment for getting enough sleep. Here are some tips on how to do that.

It’s Bedtime

Remember how your parents pestered you about bedtime? They had a point. Stop looking at the ever-later clock each night, knowing you “really should” get to bed. Insead, set a bedtime, and stick with it.

Most experts agree that you should go to sleep before midnight, preferably before 11 pm. If this isn’t possible, be realistic and set a bedtime when you know you can get it, even if it’s midnight or 12:30 am. Then be sure you get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep.

Another note about bedtime – if it’s too early, that can cause problems too, experts note. If you find yourself fading to sleep at 7 or 8 pm, you may find that you wake up in the small hours. When you wake up after only 5 or 6 hours’ sleep, it’s difficult to get back to sleep.

Your Bedroom

You may have a set-up in your bedroom that is not conducive to sleep. Here are some things to look for and adjust in your bedroom to make it more sleep-promoting.

Keep your room dark and cool

Dark and cool is the rule for a sleepy bedroom. Darkness is important for a proper night’s sleep. Lights from neighbors’ homes, screens (including TV or computer screen), lamps, etc., can disturb your sleep patterns.

Cooler temperatures are said to promote sleep. A higher body temperature may actually stimulate the body and prevent sleep. But cool temperatures help promote a comfortable night’s sleep.

Don’t work in bed

Your bed is for sleeping, not working. Are you in the habit of working on bills, office work, etc., while sitting on or in bed? You might be inadvertently training your brain to be stimulated when you are in your bed. Also, it’s harder to walk away from work worries if you literally take them to bed with you! Try to keep your work in another room, or at least away from your bed.

Keep it quiet

Keep it quiet in your bedroom. If you have trouble in this regard, use a fan or other source of white noise at night to drown out disruptive sounds.

Make Lists

Do worries keep you awake? Do you have a hard time turning off your brain? Making a list may help.

Write down all of those things that are bothering you or that you can’t get your mind off of. Then, note some practical steps you can take in the morning (or during the upcoming day or week) to work those things out. 

Further reading:

How to help your baby sleep