The alarming danger of sleep deprivation & how to fix it
If you’re a parent, you are probably familiar with or are currently experiencing the effects of sleep deprivation.
By definition, sleep deprivation is not getting a reasonable amount of total sleep in a twenty-four hour period, and it is quickly becoming an epidemic in our culture. As many as seventy million American adults have a sleeping disorder caused by insomnia, sleep apnea, or other sleep-related challenges.
Most people feel the physical and mental effects when they haven’t had enough sleep, but you may not know just how dangerous sleep deprivation can be long term.
What are the dangers of sleep deprivation, besides just...being sleepy?
Weight Gain and Diabetes: People who are restricted in their sleep are not able to process glucose as efficiently as those who get eight plus hours of sleep. Studies have shown that people who only get a few hours of sleep are sixteen percent more likely to get Type two Diabetes. Also, the hormones that regulate appetite are disrupted with sleep deprivation, and you tend to eat more - especially junk food. Obesity and sleep deprivation have a strong link, especially in young and middle-age adults. One study showed that men who got only four hours of sleep a night for two nights had a twenty four percent appetite increase. They tended to crave high-carb, high-calorie foods like chips, cookies, pasta, and bread.
Other Health Issues: A 2005 study showed that physical wounds do not heal as quickly in those deprived of REM sleep. Getting less than six hours of sleep per night also gives you a higher chance of catching a cold. You are also at risk for heart problems and may have higher blood pressure and a bigger risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. Other research says that poor sleep can also lead to Alzheimer’s Disease.
Thinking and Memory: A 2000 study showed that those who are sleep deprived need to exert a lot more effort in logical, practical reasoning, memory, and focusing tasks. Sleep deprivation can cause you to forget words or sentences when taking notes, forget ingredients when cooking, forget items when leaving the house, etc. As you get less and less sleep, your memory declines more and more. Studies show that just one night of bad sleep causes you to give up more easily when given a difficult problem and to think less creatively. Six hours or less of sleep also increases your risk of having a car accident by three times!
Mood: As anyone who has had an all-nighter in college or has stayed up for nights on end with a newborn can attest to, lack of sleep can cause irritability, impatience, and a general moodiness.
Effects in babies: You may think that many of these just apply to adults, but there are several negative effects of lack of sleep in babies, including finding less pleasure in things they love, obesity (as early as age 3), and slower cognitive (brain) development. For more on these, read this.
So with all these negative effects, why are so many people still sleep deprived? Although some people have sleep disorders caused by certain medical conditions, the American Sleep Association says that a large reason for these sleeping disorders is simply not having healthy sleep hygiene, “the recommended environmental and behavioral practices designed to promote better quality sleep.”
Here are some practical tips you can use to make sure you are having healthy sleep hygiene:
1. Get the right amount of sleep.
Adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Please don’t trick yourself into believing that you function fine with less sleep. You may feel fine, but imagine what your true potential is with the proper amount of sleep! And although naps can be helpful after sleep deprivation, naps can negatively affect night sleep in adults. Basically, your seven to nine hours should all be reached at night, rather than with napping. If you need a nap, it’s best to do so at midday.
2. Have a bedtime routine.
Turns out, bedtime routines are not just for children! Having a routine helps tell your brain that it is time to sleep, which helps your body calm down. This may mean that you have a bath, use lavender oil, take a warm shower (but not too hot! Your body wants to be cool to sleep), do yoga, read, pray, or whatever calms you. Even getting into pajamas can help signal your body, so don’t go to bed in the same lounge clothes you’ve been wearing all evening. Whatever you choose, try to keep your routine simple so that you can be consistent with it. The last step of your routine should simply be to get in bed, as the other steps of your routine should not actually be done in bed.
3. Try to keep a schedule.
Try your best to go to sleep and wake up at similar times each day. Being an hour late or early won’t matter too much, but when you’re going to bed at 9:30 one night and 1am the next, your body doesn’t follow cues as well as to when it should be sleepy.
4. Use clean sheets and pillows.
Make sure to wash/change your bedding at least once every two weeks. We also recommend organic bedding, as it has many sleep promoting properties such as regulating temperature.
5. Have a quiet, dark, cool bedroom.
If your bedroom window is next to a busy street or a barking dog, consider getting a white noise machine for your room. You could also use a fan, which would help cover the noise, as well as keep you cool! If a lot of light comes in through your bedroom window, consider getting blackout curtains. If you never open that window anyway, it works very well to put up cardboard as a make-shift blackout curtain!
6. Don't eat or drink too much late at night.
Interrupted sleep can be caused by hunger, but it can also be caused by eating a large meal too close to bedtime, as it takes a lot of energy to metabolize. If you might get hungry at night, it is best to simply eat a light snack before bed. Similarly, if you don't want to wake up in the night to go to the bathroom, it's best not to drink too much liquid late at night. As for alcohol, it may initially cause sleepiness, but the effort it takes your body to metabolize can cause fragmented sleep. Of course, caffeine should also be avoided after 12/1pm, and smoking before bed can reduce the amount of time spent in deep sleep, leading to restlessness and fragmented sleep.
7. Stay away from the electronics.
The blue light from computers, phones, and tablets slows the body’s ability to create melatonin, which causes sleepiness. Wanting to read every last text message or notification is a huge cause of sleep deprivation in our digital society. If this is where you struggle, maybe it’s time to consider keeping your phone in another room at night or using an old-school alarm clock instead of your phone. At minimum, you should be avoiding electronics (TV shows, Facebook, Pinterest, or whatever your binging might be) at least 1 hour before bed.
8. Don’t be too physically or mentally active before bed.
It’s a fact that those who regularly exercise get better quality sleep, but exercising too late in the evening can also hinder sleep. Even working on important projects or planning things too close to bedtime can delay your body’s ability to fall asleep. If you’re laying in bed unable to fall asleep, it is recommended to actually get out of bed and do something relaxing, such as reading a book, for a short amount of time before getting back into bed to try sleeping again.
Sources:
https://www.sleepassociation.org/sleep-disorders/sleep-deprivation/
https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/sleep-hygiene-tips/sleep-hygiene/
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/body-sleep-deprivation-infographic/
https://www.marthastewart.com/1535620/healthy-sleep-routine-tips
https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-orlando/blog/secrets-sleep-part-4-what-chronic-sleep-deprivation-means-your
Related articles:
Five ways to make sleep a priority
Exhausted mama - here's how to get more rest
Related products:
Five natural products to help pregnant mamas get better sleep