Studies have shown that nearly three-quarters of Americans have problems sleeping. Additionally over a quarter of the population sleeps for less than seven hours each night and most of these people are sleepy enough that it starts to cause issues for them throughout the day. Day to day life can be rigorous, but if people don’t get a better night sleep then they aren’t fully taking advantage of everything life has to offer. Some important things to note are that 5 hours of sleep simply isn’t good enough and if you aren’t getting enough sleep you cannot actually make it up over the weekend. The amount you weigh can have an impact on your sleeping patterns as well as drinking caffeinated beverages too late or sleeping with thins like the computer or TV on at night. Sleep deprivation isn’t simply a short term issue.
It is said that humans typically need at least seven to nine hours of sleep each day. It’s going to depend a lot on the person to dial that in, depending on their health or physical activity. It’s not as hard as you might think to tell if someone is getting enough sleep. Some characteristics include typical dark rings around the eyes, mood swings during the day, hard time staying focused, weak immune systems. To a lot of people that will hit very close to home, and the good news is that once you know you have a problem you can take steps to getting a better night sleep.
Not getting good sleep can have several additional adverse effects. It can seriously impact one’s ability to remember things, it can make it harder to learn and impact their ability to utilize logical reasoning. The biggest problem is that when this cycle occurs it pretty much sets people up for failure in school and at work where they aren’t living up the potential they are capable of.. The immediate physical ramifications of not getting a better night sleep include; Diabetes, an increase in weight, cardiovascular problems, weight gain and depression.
If you find yourself all geared up and ready for a better night sleep but end up just laying in bed and are unable to get to sleep, then you need to make some adjustments. Start by not watching TV or using a laptop from bed. Eliminate caffeinated drink in the evening, if you have to get up you might have problems getting back to sleep. Make sure your mattress is in good shape and isn’t causing you pain when you sleep. Consider making bedtime a ritual, in that the same tasks such as brushing teeth, taking a shower or reading are done at the same time every night, it will help your brain understand that it is time to sleep.
