If you feel tired while reading this short article, it is already happening to you…
An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans have sleep disorders, and 1 in 3 adults (about 84 million people) do not regularly get the recommended amount of uninterrupted sleep they need to protect their health. Unfortunately, studies show it is only getting worse with each passing decade, and there are no signs of the situation becoming any better. In fact, over the past 5 years alone there has been a startling 33% increase in those of us reporting trouble sleeping! Can you imagine what statistics in another decade will be like? Unfortunately, it does not look like we are heading in the right direction.
In our busy, fast-paced society, it seems we are constantly moving, thinking, and trying to get “more” done. The first thing many of us think of doing when we do have so-called “free time” is to catch up on a little TV or do some activity that we have “not had the time to do”, aside from catching up on our sleep. And greater quality and quantity sleep is exactly what most of us really need.
Sleep studies clearly show that not receiving the quality and quantity sleep affects our lives in negative ways, sometimes greatly. It can change the way we see and experience our lives and the world around us in dramatic ways.
Some of the following can help us identify when we might not be achieving enough quality sleep each night:
If you find any of these attributes apply to you, you might want to sleep a little longer or sounder each night.
Amazingly, one of the quickest ways to improve the quality of our lives and waking hours, as the statistics show, is to simply get a better night’s sleep. It is such a simple answer to such a complex problem.
If you are having troubles falling asleep, there are things you can do that can help you very quickly. Yes, the following might seem obvious to many folks, but sometimes we miss the obvious. So, let us cover some quick and easy ones first.
Reduce the levels of caffeine used throughout the day. Studies show that people who have insomnia already have a higher metabolic rate (typically 9%) than those who are sleeping normally. It would take about 4 cups of coffee to raise a normal sleepers metabolism to the same rate. From this metabolic indicator, although the person with insomnia does not feel wide awake and shows all the signs of not achieving enough sleep, we can see that a person who intakes caffeine actually on average is highly physiologically aroused. After all, caffeine is a stimulant!
The short of it…reduce the levels of caffeine intake throughout the day. Obviously, we are not going to say quit totally, even though it can help. Of course, the last thing you want to do is drink the caffeine within a few hours (three or more) before attempting to go to sleep.
List of items, both food and beverages, that may contain caffeine:
Next, nicotine intake can have a dramatic effect on our ability to get a good night’s rest. Just like caffeine, nicotine is a stimulant. Smoking is the primary way of ingesting nicotine. Smoking can raise blood pressure, stimulate brainwave activity, and increase heart rate.
Studies have shown that smokers have greater difficulties falling asleep and wake more times during the night. The latter may be a symptom of withdrawal. And, when people have quit smoking after regularly smoking from 1 to 3 packs of cigarettes a day over at least two years, studies have found it is easier to fall asleep and sleep more soundly with fewer awakenings at night.
Obviously, people are not going to just quit smoking, as most who have the habit realize how addictive it really can be. So, maybe lessen your smoking intake and only do it a certain points during the day. Try not to have any cigarettes close to bedtime and try, like the case with caffeine, to limit your usage to several hours before bedtime, which can help greatly. If you want to quickly work toward getting a better night’s sleep and you smoke cigarettes, then to quit smoking is one of the quickest ways to help achieve your goal.
There are many more things we can do, to achieve a better night’s sleep, including taking a look at different aspects of our bedroom or sleep environments. Many of the following will be subjective, so you will want to find out by focusing on a few and making small changes through time to what personally works for you.
These are just a few things about our sleep context that can help us achieve a better night’s sleep and improve the quality of our lives.
As the statistics clearly show, most of us are walking around half awake every day, which means in all probability we are not living a higher quality of life we could be and other areas of our lives can suffer. Both physical and psychological problems can arise by not achieving enough quality sleep.
Take the above tips and run with them. Take your time, be patient, and find what has helped others and how you can help yourself improve the quality of your life through a better night’s sleep. It’s time to stop the growth and reverse America’s easily unnoticed sleep epidemic.