AD/ Gifted | We all know sleep is important, and many of us are chasing that somewhat elusive 8 hours, with nearly three-quarters of UK adults not getting the recommended 7-9 hours. But why don’t we get enough? What can we do to improve it, and how is lack of sleep showing up in our everyday lives?
Featured Image: Photo by Acharaporn Kamornboonyarush
How does lack of sleep affect the body?
You may have noticed you’re a little cranky if you haven’t slept well the night before, or maybe that you’re not concentrating as well at work or school, but these things are relatively surface level if you’ve had a bad night or two. But what else happens longer term if we’re not getting enough sleep?
Immune System Decline
Rest is important for our bodies to repair. While you sleep, your immune system produces protective substances like antibodies and cytokines. It uses these substances to combat bacteria and viruses.
Certain cytokines also help you to sleep, giving your immune system more efficiency to defend your body against illness. Sleep deprivation prevents your immune system from building up its forces. If you don’t get enough sleep, it may take you longer to recover from illness.
Long-term sleep deprivation also can cause an increased risk for chronic conditions, such as heart disease.
Cardiovascular system
Sleep affects processes that keep your heart and blood vessels healthy, including those that affect your blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation levels. It also plays a vital role in your body’s ability to heal and repair the blood vessels and heart.
People who don’t sleep enough are more likely to get cardiovascular disease. Some studies have linked insomnia to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Digestive Health
Sleep affects the levels of two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, which control feelings of hunger and fullness.
Leptin tells your brain that you’ve had enough to eat. Without enough sleep, your brain reduces leptin and raises ghrelin, which is an appetite stimulant. The flux of these hormones could explain nighttime snacking or why someone may overeat later in the night.
Feeling too tired to exercise, which can, of course, cause a decrease in muscle mass, which then lowers your metabolic rate.
Common Causes of Poor Sleep
There are many things that can be listed here, and I’m going to skip the extremely obvious, like a new baby or too much caffeine, but what else impacts our sleep quality?
Shift Work/ Poor Sleep Routines
If you work in a restaurant or bar and work later into the evening, you can still get great sleep even though your schedule may look slightly different to the average person’s. However, those of you who do a mix of night and day shifts, like healthcare workers, may be having a harder time because your body doesn’t have much of a rhythm at all.
Environment
Too loud? Too warm? Too cold? Humidity. Old mattress? There are many environmental factors that can impact your night’s sleep, and these factors are thankfully some of the easier ones to fix.
Although a new mattress can be an investment, it can improve many of the disadvantages of a poor sleep. With a new mattress, like the Simba Hybrid you can experience better sleep quality, by helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, and it reduces aches and pains by offering proper spinal alignment and support. These factors can also lead to improved energy levels throughout the day, a cleaner and more inviting sleep environment, and enhanced overall physical and mental health.
Medications
Some medications for things like ADHD or depression (amongst others) can have a negative impact on your sleep quality. If you think this could be the cause for you, take this up with your doctor and discuss potential alternatives to avoid the negative mental health implications of poor sleep.
Tips to Improve Sleep
There are several things you can do to improve some of the issues listed above, and if your issues are environmental, some of these things are relatively cheap and easy to try.
- Blackout blinds – Whether it’s issues sleeping with increased daylight in the summer or shift work, creating a darker space can help your circadian rhythm.
- White noise machine – They can aid relaxation and can help limit outside noise if that is an issue.
- Dehumidifier – This can help remove allergens, improve respiratory conditions like asthma and help you control air flow on a heavy summer night.
- Seasonal bedding/ sheets – This one is somewhat obvious, but ensuring you have adequate comfort for all seasons can help you control your sleep environment.
- New mattress – As mentioned above, no more aches and pains, better support and wake up feeling more refreshed.
- Discuss medication changes – This may not be an option, but there could be an alternative solution for your condition.
- Stay hydrated – Proper hydration supports healthy sleep by ensuring body systems, including those regulating sleep and brain function, work correctly.
- Limit/ control caffeine – I know I said I wasn’t going to talk about this one, but if you think you have the rest of the list covered, you’re still struggling to sleep, and you have a coffee at 5 every afternoon, it might be time to rethink that.
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