It’s estimated that nearly one-third of the adults and two-thirds of the high school students don’t get enough sleep each night.
Unfortunately, not getting enough good-quality sleep can cause much more harm than simply feeling tired.
One study found that getting only five hours per night for several nights in a row decreases mental performance to the same extent as drinking enough alcohol to have a blood alcohol content of 0.06% (0.6 permille).
As if that wasn’t enough, poor sleep can make you feel more negative, less productive and act less ethically at work.
Even worse, getting poor quality or not enough sleep also increases your chances of developing chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease or diabetes.
And because it’s the time when your body clears waste and harmful plaques from the brain, it may be the reason why poor sleep seems to be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Some people believe that they can not sleep enough for several day or more and make it up when they get around to it. For many people, on a short-term basis, that looks to be true. If you are sleep deprived during the week, you may be able to make it up during the weekend.
But with long-term sleep debt, the evidence isn’t good for being able to make it up. According to the Clayton Sleep Institute, research showed that six nights of sleep deprivation resulted in negative impacts on attention, daytime sleepiness, and inflammation. After a catch-up period to make up the sleep debt, attention levels didn’t catch up. Cortisol, the prime marker for inflammation, didn’t decrease either. A separate study showed that chronic sleep loss results in a loss of neurons that are responsible for alertness and cognition.
Another issue with sleep debt is that when you sleep too little, then sleep a lot, your circadian rhythm is disturbed. Many sleep experts believe that the number one thing you can do to start sleeping better is to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day, regardless of whether it’s a weekday or weekend. Have a regular sleep routine that gets you well rested, and there will be no need for a feast or famine sleep routine.
The Truth About Naps
A 15 to 20-minute nap can be a great way to help get rid of a sleep deficit. If you sleep longer than 20 minutes, you risk going into a deeper sleep, and when you wake up you could be groggy for a while. The length of a full sleep cycle is around 90 minutes, so if you sleep for 90 minutes, you may not wake up groggy, though it may be more difficult for you to fall asleep at night.
Early risers tend to want to nap around 1 pm, and late risers an hour or two later. As long as you nap early in the afternoon, and not in the evening, it shouldn’t affect your ability to sleep at night.
Sleep Deprivation in Babies and Children
The younger a person is, the more sleep they require to help facilitate the development of a growing body and brain. According to the National Sleep Foundation, when a child hasn’t slept enough, they may not always slow down, but they may speed up and they’ll resist going to bed.
A few things that can help get a child to bed include:
– a bedtime between 7 pm and 8 pm;
– a consistent sleep routine, such as brushing their teeth, reading a story, followed by lights out at the same time every night;
– no sugar and caffeine in the evening;
Signs of Sleep Deprivation in Adults
It turns out that lack of sleep can make you a lot less productive, and only rare people can be well-rested on 4-5 hours per night of sleep.
You may be sleep deprived if you find yourself doing any of these things:
– want to sleep after eating;
– fall asleep while reading or while watching TV;
– you hit the snooze button multiple times in the morning;
– every once in a while you “crash” and sleep for many hours on end;
– rely on caffeine and sugar to keep your energy levels up;
The quality of your sleep can also impact how much you need.
If your sleep quality is poor, you may find that you still feel tired after getting what should be considered enough.
Conversely, if you are getting good quality sleep, you may be able to manage better with a little less.
Therefore, it’s not only important to focus on sleeping long enough, but also on sleeping well enough.
If you have any of the following problems, you’re probably not getting enough restful sleep:
– it takes you a long time to fall asleep once you go to bed;
– you wake up multiple times throughout the night;
– you wake up feeling tired;
Sleep Deprivation and Weight Gain
Many people attribute their inability to lose weight to a lack of disciple. They feel guilty because they can’t stick to a diet and exercise schedule, which can lead to emotional eating.
The reality for many people struggling to lose weight is that the lack of restful sleep impacts their brain’s hormone production. When you don’t get enough sleep, your leptin levels go down, and as leptin is the hormone that helps you feel satisfied and stop eating, you feel the need to continue eating.
Also, your ghrelin levels also go up, which is the hormone that stimulates your appetite.
In addition to ghrelin and leptin levels, researchers at the University of California Berkeley have found that when people are tired, they’re more likely to eat foods that are bad for them. This can become a vicious cycle where you don’t sleep well, so you eat more food, and worse food, which may make you sleep worse.
Common mistakes that people make that reduce the amount of restful sleep
If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder, it’s best to talk to your doctor. Some of the most common mistakes that people make that reduce the amount of restful sleep are:
– Exposing their brain to blue light from their cell phone, tablet, or TV within a few hours of going to bed. Blue light tells your brain that it’s time to be active and blocks the production of melatonin, the “sleep hormone.”
– Consuming caffeine and sugar before bed.
– Eating too much before bed.
– Reading work emails in bed and working until bedtime.
– Having a stressful lifestyle.
– Going to bed and waking up at different times every day, which disturbs your circadian rhythm.
– Sleeping on a mattress that’s too hard, too soft, or old. If you wake up with back or joint pain, you may be on the wrong mattress.
– Sleeping on a mattress that gets too hot.
– Having anxiety that you won’t sleep good, which can prevent you from sleeping well.
– Lack of exercise, which is a great way to relieve stress and has been linked to better sleep.
There are also a variety of mistakes people make with their posture and sleep position that can lead to a poor night’s sleep, especially anything that prevents your spine from resting in a neutral position.
– Using a pillow that is too thick or too thin can lead to an under or over supported neck. Pillow thickness is especially tricky with side sleeping. You can check this side sleeping pillow guide.
– Sleeping on a mattress that is too firm or too soft or isn’t a good match for your sleeping position. Back and stomach sleepers should generally seek out a firmer mattress while side sleepers generally need a softer mattress. You can learn more in the mattress guide for side sleepers
– A lot of people ignoring their leg position. Depending on how your legs are positioned they can have a dramatic impact on your hips and lower back. Back sleepers should consider elevating their legs. The best way to do this is with a foam wedge. It pretty much eliminates the tension in your lower back by rotating your hips backward. Side sleepers should try to put a gap between their legs using a foam roll or a pillow for similar reasons. When your legs are touching the high leg rocks your hips and bends your lower back.
– Under-supported lumbar or lower back is a common issue for back and side sleepers. Both can benefit from a lumbar pillow. Back sleepers only need a thin pillow and could potentially get away with a folded towel, while side sleepers usually need a thicker pillow. Check the lumbar pillows for sleep guide.
Tips for Better Sleep
Since quality is important, try to ensure you’re sleeping well all night.
Here are a few tips to improve your sleep:
– Follow a regular schedule: Going to bed at the same time each night helps regulate your inner clock. Following an irregular sleep schedule has been linked to poor sleep quality and duration;
– Create a calming bedtime routine: Adopting a relaxing routine before bed can help you get in the mood to sleep. For example, listening to calming music has been shown to help improve sleep quality in certain groups;
– Create a comfortable environment: Sleeping in a quiet, dark room at a comfortable temperature can help you sleep better. Being too active before bed, too warm or in a noisy environment is linked to poor sleep;
– Minimize caffeine, alcohol and nicotine: Studies have linked caffeine, alcohol and nicotine use to poorer sleep quality. Try to avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening;
– Reduce your use of electronics: The excessive use of cell phones and electronics has been associated with poor sleep quality. Even exposure to bright room lights before bed may negatively affect your sleep;
– Be more active: Studies have shown that being inactive is associated with poorer sleep, and conversely, getting exercise during the day may help you sleep better at night;
– Practice meditation: Meditation and relaxation training may help improve sleep quality and brain function, although research isn’t clear;
The amount of sleep you need varies for each person and is affected by several factors. However, for most adults, 7–9 hours per night is the ideal amount.
Pay attention to how you feel during the day to determine if you’re getting the right amount for you.
If you are sleeping enough, you should feel awake and energized during the day. If you find you are sluggish or often tired, you may need to sleep more.
To make the most out of bedtime, create good habits, such as minimizing your caffeine and alcohol intake, following a regular sleep schedule and creating a comfortable sleeping environment.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-sleep-you-need#section3
https://startsleeping.org/sleep-needs/#debt
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-tips-to-sleep-better
https://www.myactivesg.com/active-health/read/2019/5/the-scary-effects-of-technology-on-sleep
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