Sleep
Why is it so important?
Why is sleep deprivation so detrimental?
- It can impair your immune system because it provokes inflammation and over time it may negatively impact your immune system
- It weakens your bodys ability to process blood sugar.
- It elevates the stress hormone known as Cortisol.
- It decreases a persons ability to come up with creative solutions.
- It limits ability to access memories.
- It reduces alertness.
- It impairs concentration.
Sleep recommendations:
- Get a sufficient amount of sleep each night. Everyones body is different and requires unique amounts of sleep each night. Identify how much sleep your body needs and make sure you get it each night.
- Start sleeping on a regular schedule and stick to it even on the weekends.
- If you lose sleep, make it up as soon as possible. Waiting for the weekend is a good way to confuse your body.
- Get continuous sleep. Taking naps wont give your body the same nourishment as sleeping in one continuous block.
What affects sleep?
Cramming
A long night of studying can be harmful to your body and probably your grade too. Although you might know the answers, a long night of sleep deprivation may make those answers inaccessible during the exam. Sleep helps strengthen the nerve circuits that asset in learning and memory. Too many late night study sessions could also lead to insomnia and other sleep abnormalities.
Stress
Losing sleep because of stress is often a self-perpetuating cycle. If you become too stressed to sleep, the sleep deprivation will cause you to stress even more. Its important to make time to relax and unwind everyway in order to avoid the self-perpetuating stress cycle.
Alcohol
Even though alcohol induces sleep, the quality of sleep will not be the same. Alcohol prevents you from achieving the deep REM sleep your body needs because the alcohol keeps your body in the lighter sleep stages.
Diet
Most people believe that your body does not work very hard when it is asleep, but it actually does require the proper nutrients to complete the organizational tasks that occur during sleep. A poor diet can result in obesity, higher risk of developing sleep apnea, heart burn, and digestive problems that could distract you from a solid night of sleep.
Sleeping pills
For those with sleeping problems, sleeping pills may seem like a gift but they actually do more harm than good. Excessive use of sleeping pills can result in your body "forgetting" how to fall asleep naturally, which could lead to dependency and addiction. Sleeping pills should therefore be used infrequently and with discretion.
Nightmares & Insomnia
Nightmares
Some experts say the occasional nightmare is actually a good thing because its a subconscious way to let off some steam. On the other hand, frequent nightmares that cause you to wake up at night can be classified as a sleeping disorder. Some common causes of nightmares include:
- Alcohol consumption
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Post-traumatic stress syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Prescription or illicit drugs
- Psychiatric illness
- Stress
- Withdrawal from addictive drugs
Insomnia
Insomnia is the chronic inability to fall asleep or remain asleep for a sufficient amount of time. This is very harmful for students because it causes severe sleep deprivation. Occasionally, everyone has problems falling asleep but that doesnt necessarily mean you have insomnia. When the problems listed below become severe, its recommended you see a doctor for treatment if you frequently experience some of the problems listed below:
- Frequent difficultly falling asleep
- Frequent difficultly staying sleep
- Feeling tired after sleep
- Unable to get a sufficient amount of sleep
- Daytime sleepiness
- Depression
- Impaired alertness
- Irritability
- Diminished performance at work or school
- Impaired concentration
Causes of Insomnia
- Health Condition: Health conditions that cause pain and discomfort are common causes of insomnia.
- Mental Health: Depression and anxiety are leading causes of insomnia.
- Substance abuse: Too much caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco can disrupt sleep patterns.
- Life style: Jet lag, working late nights and late night parties are a few examples of things that can throw of somebody's sleep cycle and cause insomnia.
- Medication: Both prescription and non-prescription drugs often contain stimulates and other drugs that can keep you up at night and disrupt sleeping patterns.
- Stress: Stress can leave people lying awake in bed because of anxiety and excessive worrying about life.
