As we continue to face this pandemic together, it’s important that we all remember that self-care is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves, our family, and our business! In this world filled with more uncertainty than usual, it can be difficult for a person to find his/her equilibrium. That feeling of unbalance is certainly common among many people today, and unfortunately, it often leads to one of the biggest issues affecting people’s mental and physical well-being—a lack of sleep.
If you are or have experienced a change in your sleeping patterns, or if you have noticed that your body’s ability to get to sleep, stay asleep, and/or sleep deeply enough has changed, your health could be impacted if it continues long term. Many people have been sleeping poorly for months, maybe even years, so they think that our bodies have adapted. But, experts tell us that we aren’t immune to its negative effects. Some effects may be subtle, but others might have life-changing results.
Looking at the signs
Obviously, continual tiredness is often a sign of a lack of sleep. Other signs you might not be getting the quality and/or quantity of sleep you need, are:
yawning
irritability
lethargy
mental and physical fatigue
Serious Effects
Your body does some pretty cool stuff when you sleep, and if you don’t sleep, those cool things don’t get done! More serious effects are :
1. A negative impact on your immune system.As you sleep your body develops substances and antibodies that are essential to keeping infections and viruses at bay! When you don’t sleep, your body doesn’t create them, and therefore, you are more likely to get sick when you are exposed to bacteria and other harmful viruses.
2. It disrupts healthy living. While sleep deprivation may not be the only cause for gaining a few extra pounds, it can certainly contribute! You are likely to eat more and less healthy foods when you are tired. Often your body craves sugar and carbohydrates because it knows they will give you energy, but that energy will be short lived and leave you wanting and often getting more. A lack of sleep also impacts the Leptin (a hormone that signals to your body when you are full) in your body, by slowing it down. When your body turns down the Leptin then a hormone called Ghrelin (which is what stimulates your appetite) is signaled to increase, telling your body you are HANGRY even when you aren’t. Not sleeping can also contribute to your body’s healthy release of insulin and use of glucose which can cause diabetes. Another big problem is, when you are tired, you have a tendency not to want to exercise and burn the excess calories you might have taken in during the day.
3. It doesn’t give your body time to heal. When you are sleeping, your body is repairing and healing itself. Your blood vessels and heart work hard all day, and at night, they are able to rest and restore. A lack of sleep has been found to contribute to heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
4. It contributes to depression, anxiety, and mind health disorders. We have all had that day where we are extremely irritable because of a lack of sleep. When sleep is interrupted for long periods of time, depression and anxiety can increase and lead to more serious mental health issues. Likewise, a lack of sleep can be caused by depression and anxiety, so it is important to examine if that is the cause of your sleep disruptions.
How to fix it
First of all, if it has been going on longer than 2-4 weeks, it is a good idea to go see a physician. Your sleep problem may be caused by a medical condition. You will want your doctor to assess any other symptoms you may be having to make sure something serious isn’t causing you to lose sleep.
Once you have ruled out any health problems, you can try some of these ideas to get yourself back on a 7-9 hour sleep schedule that is recommended by health officials. Try:
a guided sleep meditation (There are tons of apps and youtube videos to select from)
shutting down completely 15-20 minutes before you want to be asleep
shutting down electronics one hour before bedtime
reading a book
exercising at least two hours before bed
not eating close to bedtime
creating a nighttime routine that you follow every night (a bath, tea, essential oil, a book)
going to bed and getting up at the same time every day
drinking sleepy time tea before bed
not drinking caffeine after 1:00 p.m.
avoiding a nap longer that 15-20 minutes
not drinking alcohol often and at least 4 hours before bed
minimizing the amount of time you spend on social media
making a concerns and solutions list an hour before bed
Sleep has become a precious commodity in modern society which isn’t healthy. One of the most important self-care changes a person needs to make is changing one’s paradigm that sleep is a luxury. It should be treated as a priority because it literally is as important as breathing. Put it high on your list, make positive changes to get the sleep that is necessary, and see if the rest of the items on your plate don’t seem a lot more doable, not to mention enjoyable.
If you need to take something off your plate to get that sleep time in, let Anneomaly Digital help you. We can help you market your business and grow your brand while you handle your other priorities (a.k.a. SLEEP)!