How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Health
We all want sleep but sometimes sleep is hard to find. Tossing and turning, lying awake for hours with so much on your mind or maybe your neighbor is playing loud music at all times of the night. Whatever the reason, not getting enough sleep causes great distress on our health. Chronic sleep deprivation can increase the risk for developing disorders like anxiety and depression, and many other problems such as sickness, diabetes, infertility, weight gain, low libido and heart disease. Most of us are aware of the common sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea and narcolepsy but more than 70 sleep disorders exist. Not everything is in our control but it's important to control what we can.
Below are ways to get the right amount of sleep.
Take melatonin
Eliminate caffeine in the afternoon
Avoid eating late at night
Get treated for the sleep disorder
There is also strong evidence that your bedroom has a lot to do with the quality of the sleep you're getting. Optimize your room layout to assist your sleep habits. You want to be able to see your bedroom door from your bed and be able to exit from either side of your bed; ensure that there is a solid wall behind your bed. Use cool colors like blues, greens, purples and grays to induce calm and ease tension. Find the right mattress, and avoid sleeping in a painful position that causes aches and pains the next day. Use soft light and soft scents, use bulbs that are incandescent so they don't trick your body into thinking it's daytime. Use aromatherapy in the form of essential oils, try Lavender, Chamomile, Bergamot, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Eucalyptus, or any essential oil that has a sedative effect. Add greenery to your bedroom, like Jasmine, Gardenia, English Ivy, Aloe Vera, and Lavender plants. Not only does it add oxygen it can also give off sedative scents and help purify the air. Keep the room at an ideal temperature between 60-67 degrees and surfaces clutter free to help relax the mind.