Do you know quality sleep affects our overall health and well-being? However, many unfortunate people do not enjoy this luxury.
According to health sciences, an adult needs 7 hours of good sleep every night to be productive later that day.
Our overall daily routine life depends upon quality sleep. With minimal sleep, we are not able to perform well at work or school. Moreover, our family and social relations also affect adversely due to lack of sleep. People often look for a top sleep medicine specialist to counter this problem. It`s good to know about sleep deprivation before opting for a doctor.
WHAT IS SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Sleep deprivation means getting less amount of sleep than the human body needs. Although every person has different sleeping habits, it is ideal to have 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night. Children require more nightly sleep than adults, at least 10 hours or more.
Persistent sleep deprivation leads to so many mental, physical, and even emotional issues.
Let us dig further to know the different types of sleep deprivation.
TYPES OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Sleep deficiency may be categorized into the following types.
ACUTE SLEEP DEPRIVATION
When a person experiences disturbed, interrupted, and short span of sleep for a few days it refers to acute sleep deprivation.
CHRONIC SLEEP DEPRIVATION
When a person experiences insufficient sleep for more than a period of three months, it’s called chronic sleep deprivation. It is also called insufficient sleep syndrome.
CHRONIC SLEEP DEFICIENCY
It is described as present sleep deprivation with disturbed or fragmented sleep.
Sleep deprivation is particularly not a disease. Sometimes it is the outcome of an illness while other times it is due to personal circumstances. There are many factors involved in the causes of sleep deprivation.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION?
Sleep deprivation can occur due to medical as well as personal reasons. They are so many causes, here we will discuss the common causes of sleep deprivation.
1. Personal preferences
Some people prefer other things over their sleep. They are more inclined to television or mobile phones or they are hooked to a book. Most adults sacrifice their sleep to work for longer hours. They don`t even realize how much damage they do to themselves.
2. Illness or diseases
People when they are sick face difficulty falling asleep or experience fragmented sleep. It is a temporary cause of sleep deprivation, as soon as the illness goes, sleep deprivation vanishes.
3. Sleep environment
The environment has a huge impact on sleep deprivation. Poor quality mattresses or pillows, immoderate temperature, excessive noise, and lightning are some of the environmental factors that lead to poor quality sleep.
4. Other sleep disorders
Other sleep disorders have a direct relation to sleep deprivation. These disorders may include sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, hallucinations, and insomnia. A person already been diagnosed with a sleep disorder faces sleep deprivation.
5. Stress
In today`s world life of anyone is full of certain or uncertain stress. Some are worried about their finances, social status, and career, while others are concerned more about their family, relations, and loved ones. Once you lay down quietly to fall asleep these anxious thoughts hit you harder.
6. Daytime habits
A person`s activities throughout the day have a great impact on the quality of sleep. Too much caffeine consumption, excessive screen time, daytime naps, and poor sleep hygiene often lead to sleep deprivation.
SYMPTOMS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION
A sleep-deprived person might have the following symptoms.
- Feel lethargic and tired throughout the day.
- Experience sudden mood swings.
- Face loss of appetite and memory.
- Need at least one or two naps during the day.
- Find it difficult to focus and pay attention.
- Experience a lack of energy to perform routine tasks.
DIAGNOSIS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Sometimes, sleep specialists diagnose a sleep disorder by discussing the symptoms with a patient. He may ask the following questions from a person to analyze sleep deprivation:
- At what time do you go to bed?
- How much time do you take to fall asleep?
- Do you toss and turn more frequently while sleeping?
- How many times do you wake up during a nighttime sleep?
- What are the things that make you wake up several times during the night?
- Are you on some medication?
Upon analyzing the symptoms, a sleep specialist recommends some medications and suggests changing a bit of things in daily routine. However, sometimes a doctor may ask a person to go for a sleep study or sleep test. This is the case of chronic and acute sleep disorders such as insomnia, parasomnia, and obstructive sleep disorder.
Different sleep disorders call for different treatments.
TREATMENTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION.
Sleep deprivation treatments depend upon the severity of deprivation symptoms. Sometimes a doctor asks a patient to change their routine or suggests self-care before starting any medications. In the case of acute and chronic sleep deprivation, a patient has to go for a sleep test. A sleep test can be performed at home or in a laboratory. A person`s heartbeat, breathing pattern, limb and leg movement, and brain waves have been recorded to diagnose a sleep disorder. Further medications depend on the diagnosis of a sleep disorder.
Sometimes a doctor suggests home care treatments as well to eliminate sleep deprivation.
HOME CARE TO SUBSIDE SLEEP DEPRIVATION
A person should follow these home care strategies to diminish sleep deprivation.
- To establish a healthy sleeping routine, one should go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on holidays as well.
- Make a habit of reading a book before bedtime.
- Try to fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed. If you find it difficult to fall asleep get out of bed, start reading for further 5 minutes then try again.
- Avoid screen time 2 hours before a bedtime routine.
- Add more physical activities to your day or do exercise daily.
- Try to do yoga and meditation.
- Change your bedroom environment. A new bedspread, warm lighting, fresh and fragrant, can help you fall asleep faster and better.
- Limit the consumption of tea, coffee, and sugary drinks, especially before bedtime.
- Avoid alcohol and tobacco-contained products.
However, no one can guarantee you a good night’s sleep, all these factors can act only as a safeguard.
SUMMING UP:
Sleep deprivation no doubt affects a person`s sanity. Many chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes can trigger a sleep-deprived person.
A person experiencing a persistent lack of sleep may become emotionally weak and encounter issues such as anxiety and panic attacks, emotional breakdown, and oversensitivity.
Several self-care strategies such as a change in routine, exercise, meditation, and reading can help a person to diminish sleep deprivation. However, if the symptoms persist a person should visit a sleep disorder center.
If you are living in Oakland and looking for a sleep center we made a list of sleep disorder center in Oakland county
One should pay attention to their physical, emotional, and mental health, because your health matters.
ALSO READ: What Is the Best Herbal Medicine for Impotence and Weak Erections?