|
HomeTopicsCauses Of Sleep DeprivationLifestyle
Lifestyle and Sleep DeprivationFor many, sleep is a natural end to the day. Sleep comes easily and without much effort. For others, getting a good night's sleep is an ongoing problem. Many are not aware of, or willing to accept, the fact that what they do during their waking hours can have a dramatic effect on their sleep. However, lifestyle can have profound effects on sleep quality and quantity.
What Affects Sleep?
Many things can affect sleep. These include:
We can look at each of these items individually to see their effects, but also keep in mind that any combination of one or more factors can compound sleep problems.
Jet lag and TravelMany people travel quite often for work or leisure. Jetting off to a distant locale can be great for work or play, but it is also hard on your body.
Traveling on a plane can alter a person's sleep habits just by introducing unusual circumstances to a daily routine. A nap might be taken on a long flight, or a poor night's sleep might be endured on a red-eye flight. People also have internal clocks that run on 24-hour intervals known as circadian rhythms. When a person travels to another time zone, this biological mechanism takes a little while to catch up, throwing off sleep patterns. This is the same problem that people who work late shifts experience. Some people can cope with shift work, while the ongoing manipulation of the body clock can be too hard on others. You can minimize the effects of jetlag and travel by doing some of the following:
Diet and SleepEating a balanced diet is essential to overall health and sleep. Your body is still working while asleep and needs the proper nutrients to accomplish all of the delicate organizational tasks in your brain. Not eating properly can also affect your sleep patterns by creating problems such as obesity, which raises the odds of developing sleep apnea, or heartburn and related digestive problems that can prevent a sound night's sleep.
In this category, we can also look at caffeine, since it is a part of your diet. The best rule of thumb is not to overdo it during the day and to avoid caffeine in the evening hours. Caffeine revs your body up while taxing your adrenal system, creating artificial energy. Too much of a good thing can lead to sleep issues.
Alcohol and Substance AbuseIt may seem that alcohol might help you sleep since it is a depressant. While this may be marginally true here and there, overuse of alcohol can impair sleep.
Alcohol can cause a person to sleep less deeply and have more fitful sleep. And the use of alcohol as a relaxant will likely only work a few times; the body becomes quickly desensitized, requiring more and more alcohol to accomplish the same sleep-inducing effect. This is why alcohol should never be relied on as a sleep aid. Additionally, substance abuse of any kind, including alcohol, can alter body chemistry drastically. When your body is not operating normally, sleep will be impacted. Drugs and alcohol induce highs and lows that inhibit the body's natural ability to regulate itself, whether awake or asleep.
Stress and SleepThe link between stress and sleep is deep and can sometimes be a self-perpetuating cycle: If you are stressed, you can't sleep, and lack of sleep makes you more stressed.
The body and brain are not built to endure hours upon hours of stress day in and day out. Yet that is often what we ask our bodies to do. But unfortunately, today we live at a much faster pace than any generation before us. The body and brain need time to recuperate and regenerate. Allowing too much stress during the day can make the body forget how to relax, even at night when you're exhausted from the day's events. It is similar to a baby being "overtired," and is not good for healthy sleep. Be sure to avoid daily stressors and take time to eat properly and take brain breaks throughout your day.
Internet Chat Rooms and SleepThe Internet and chat rooms can also become a serious problem. The Internet is on 24 hours a day, giving people endless activities and entertainment long after bedtime.
Chat rooms can be found on any topic imaginable, and staying up "talking" can be addictive for some. Be careful to monitor your computer habits, though, as they can induce a waking stupor that makes it difficult to fall asleep when you finally log off. Resources Murphy, Patricia (2007). What's keeping you up? Retrieved January 26, 2007, from the Healthology Web site: http://www.healthology.com/sleep-disorders/video2946.htm. National Sleep Foundation (2007). Sleep problems and lifestyle tips. Retrieved January 26, 2007, from the National Sleep Foundation Web site: http://centers.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/lifestyle/. Saint Joseph Health Care (2007). Lifestyle affects sleep. Retrieved January 26, 2007, from the Saint Joseph Health Care Web site: http://www.sjhlex.org/body.cfm?id=178&oTopID=173.
|
|
