By Flavia Mosci, M.S in Counseling Psychology
Having trouble sleeping? You are not alone. According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 out of 3 Americans are not securing enough sleep on a regular basis. The recommended sleep period for young adults and adults is between 7-9 hours per night and for older adults that number is between 7 to 8 hours. When we do not meet those requirements, we may be imposing a heavy burden on our physical and mental health. I am not sure if you are like me, but I personally could not function on less than 5 hours of sleep per night, as my next day would probably be entirely unproductive. It would be very difficult to wake up and take on a full day of work, as my mind would be foggy and my cognitive abilities as well as my reflexes would be dramatically decreased. These are just some of my symptoms after sleep deprivation.
There are a multitude of consequences which can create serious conditions. The possible causes for insomnia are many. Suffering from a mental health disorder such as depression and anxiety predisposes one to sleep disturbances. Sleep deprivation in turn can also contribute to the onset of mental health conditions; they tend to have a cyclic relationship.
Certain health conditions such as: sleep apnea, allergies, gastrointestinal problems, endocrine problems, arthritis, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain amongst many others, can interfere with a good night of sleep.
Certain medications may also cause sleep disturbances. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the following medications may cause insomnia in some patients: corticosteroids, statins, alpha-blockers, beta-blockers, SSRI antidepressants, ACE inhibitors, ARBs (angiotensin II-receptor blockers), cholinesterase inhibitors, second-generation (non-sedating) H1 agonists and glucosamine/chondroitin. If you are currently taking medications, it is important to discuss with your doctor and research for information to find out how it may be affecting your sleep. Other types of drugs such as caffeine can also lead to a lack of sleep. When it is taken through the later part of the afternoon, it may delay the onset of sleep, in some cases by many hours.
Next, let us not forget a modern problem… technology! Exposure to blue light from phones and computers before bedtime has also been shown to interfere with sleep. Make sure to place a blue light filter on the phone and computer if you must use it at night, and if possible, put those away about an hour before going to bed. This light has been shown to inhibit melatonin production, which is the hormone that affects sleep.
Lastly, consider your sleep hygiene as a possible culprit. If you are not allocating and respecting adequate sleep time, your own behavior and your sleep preparation habits maybe setting you up for distress.
It is very important to consider if one these situations maybe contributing to your lack of sleep and sometimes there could be multiple factors; making it more difficult to solve.
Here are some additional strategies to help you reach your zzz’s:
-Many experts agree that lowering room’s temperature might affect how well and long you sleep. Biology Professor Craig Heller, from Stanford university wrote a chapter about temperature and sleep in a medical book stating that a mild drop in body temperature induces sleep, explaining that if you sleep in a comfortably cooler room it is easier for that to happen.
-Avoid heavy and large meals prior to bedtime; this could be problematic, specially for those who suffer from GERD.
-Sniffing Lavender oil prior to going to bed, has been shown to have significant beneficial influence on sleep quality and duration
-Discuss with your doctor about the possibility of adding magnesium supplement to your diet.
According to a paper in the Journal of Research of Medical Sciences, magnesium was able to decrease cortisol serum concentrations and increased serum melatonin (sleep hormone), thus helping to increase sleep duration.
-Avoid thinking about life’s problems prior to bedtime, instead, allocate a specific time during the day in which you can brainstorm for solutions.
-Finally, I you suffer from depression and anxiety, it maybe wise to seek a mental health therapist because these disorders coupled with sleep disturbances can create a cycle in which one is continuously worsening the other.
Do not minimize the effects of sleep deprivation, having a good night’s sleep is one of the most important contributors to a healthy life.
For comments or discussions feel free to email me at [email protected]
