How Sleep Affects You

Nearly everyone would sleep more if they were convinced it would contribute to a happier, more fulfilled life. And indeed, the facts prove this to be the case despite many in todays society who claim the lack of sleep as a badge of honor.

In fact, it’s been shown that a lack of sleep adversely affects both your professional and your personal life. Tired people are more moody and have less patience with those they come into contact with. That means you’re not going to be as fun or energetic on a date… and you’re going to have far less satisfaction in your marriage. Over 75% of individuals with sleep issues have admitted to being less fulfilled in their marriages. Sleep deprivation also creeps into the bedroom in other ways besides the obvious lack thereof. Over 37% of married couples say that they have less sex (less than once a week) because of fatigue.

In the work environment, lack of sleep impairs memory, reaction time, and alertness. Inadequate sleep causes problems similar to drinking too much alcohol. Drowsy workers cost employers an estimated $18 billion annually in lost productivity.

A lack of adequate sleep also suppresses your immune function, which leads to increased infection and illnesses.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that sleepy drivers cause at least 200,000 accidents every year. And many other highly publicized accidents including the Exxon Valdeze oil spill was in part due to lack of sleep on the part of an employee.

Sleeping well is a necessity for optimum bodily function. If you need an alarm clock, or wake-up call in the morning you are not getting enough sleep.

If you are grumpy regularly, you are fighting to stay awake at your desk, you doze off while watching TV, you get fewer than 6 hours of sleep a day, or you feel unusually tired after lunch it’s safe to assume you are not getting enough sleep.

Form good sleep habits. Avoid things that stimulate the brain for an hour before bedtime. Instead, do something relaxing an hour before bedtime. Take a warm bath, practice aromatherapy, read.
Avoid things that stimulate the brain for an hour before bedtime. Instead, do something relaxing an hour before bedtime. Take a warm bath, practice aromatherapy, read.

When you do go to bed, don’t watch television. If you must, don’t watch for more than a fifteen minutes before you sleep. Record those “can’t miss” late night shows. Then you can watch them earlier the following evening, not when it’s time to go to sleep. Your brain should be trained to tell your body to sleep when you get into bed, not for watching television, eating, or talking about challenges in the home or work with a spouse. If you do, your brain disassociates going to bed with sleep. Your bed should be used for two things; sleeping and sex with your spouse or significant other.

Don’t overeat or go to bed hungry. The advice your grandma gave about a warm glass of milk was good advice. Don’t drink alcohol close to your bedtime. Alcohol can indeed make you sleepy, but it is actually considered a stimulant and will cause restless sleep that will often wake you up, invite nightmares and headaches. And for best sleep results, your brain also needs adequate levels of magnesium and calcium. It‘s suggested that 200-400 mg of magnesium and 500 mg of calcium taken thirty minutes before you retire is best. Over the counter sleep aids are helpful and in most cases will not cause harm even if you use them fairly often.