The Seriousness of Sleep Loss
Insights into helping you sleep
|
Have you ever had trouble falling asleep? Do you ever toss and turn in bed at night? You could be suffering from sleep loss. Sleep loss (also known as sleep deprivation) is a serious matter. Not getting enough sleep cannot only affect your on-the-job performance, but it can also lead to a plethora of serious health conditions down the road. That is why it is extremely important to get enough sleep every night. As you probably already know, catching up on sleep, especially with a busy schedule, can be a tough goal to accomplish. However, there are a few methods for curing sleep loss (or curing sleep deprivation). One example is to drink a warm glass of milk, or get out a good book and read. But sometimes this isn't enough. In fact the problem could be more serious, you could be suffering from insomnia. Curing insomnia is not as simple. There is not a whole lot the medical establishment can do. However, if lost sleep is causing serious problems in your daily life, and you have tried all the traditional avenues, then prescription sleep aids might be for you.
Treatments for Sleep Deprivation
- Lunesta is a popular prescription sleep aid, that has been leading the market for the last few years.
- Ambien is another pill used for sleep deprivation. Ambien can have some serious side effects so it is best to consult a few physicians before using Ambien.
Sleep and Weight
Scientists have found that a lack of sleep increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain. This could explain why so many Americans who are chronically sleep-deprived are also overweight. Lack of sleep could also be part of the reason college students, new parents and shift workers pack on pounds. Researchers say getting enough shut-eye might be a critical component of weight control. And nutritionists one day might routinely advise dieters to "sleep it off" as well as to cut calories and increase exercise.
There are the positive effects of sleep deprivation that are usually not reported or acknowledged by the general medical establishment. It has been found that sleep deprivation can be therapeutic for depression. In fact it produces a faster improvement in depression than antidepressant medication and is considered by some researchers to be the most potent treatment for depression.
Some research also suggests that individuals who need to maintain performance under challenging circumstances, such as rescue workers, armed services personnel, physicians and solo yacht racers, can actually preserve or improve their performance if they sleep in multiple short bouts throughout the day. For example, solo yacht racers who adopt this schedule and reduce sleep needs to about five to six hours per day actually perform better than their counterparts and win races. Many studies have also shown that maintaining a small sleep debt actually helps us to sleep efficiently each night; when individuals are allowed to "sleep out", they eliminate all of their sleep debt and have a harder time falling and staying asleep. By depriving ourselves of a little bit of sleep each night, we sleep better due to a stronger sleep drive. Positive Affects of Sleep Deprivation