Solving Sleep Deprivation Once And For All

Sleep as you may already know is a vital function, and therefore, lack of it (sleep deprivation) has dramatic consequences on an individual. Sleep deprivation affects the living body both physically and mentally to the point that it can self-destruct if the deprivation is pushed to the extreme: Let’s look at a sleep deprivation experiment performed on rats to illustrate this point (note that the average rat normally lives for about 2 to 3 years). In this experiment rats were divided into 2 different groups and the results were pretty conclusive as to the negative effects of sleep deprivation:

The rats in group number one, deprived of REM sleep, lived an average of 5 months.

The rats in group number two, deprived of all sleep, survived only about 3 weeks.

This experiment shows us that even though rats can survive an incredible 3 weeks without any sleep, it dramatically shortened their life-span.

But enough about rats, lets looks at the physical effects of sleep deprivation on the human body:

• Memory problems

• Chronic pain

• Attention problems

• Poor motor responses to stimuli

• Difficulty controlling emotions, mood swings

• Increased risk of motor vehicle accident: A 1998 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that approximately 100.000 motor vehicle accidents each year are the results of the driver being drowsy or fatigued at the wheel

• Increased risks of certain diseases

• Depression

• Irritability

• Increased risk of work related accidents

• Decreased work performance

• Social problems, marital problems

• Lowered immune system

Those are the dangers of sleep deprivation. As you can see the effects can be really dramatic, the simple fact that sleep deprivation lowers your immune system is scary enough, since this can lead to many other health problems. Not to mention the direct link between sleep deprivation and car accidents.

Do you ever find yourself irritated, depressed, or not able to pay attention to things the way you were able to? All of these are direct physical effects of sleep deprivation.

The link between sleep deprivation and stress is even more important than you can ever imagine. So if you find yourself stressed or experiencing any of the above, maybe it’s time to get some adequate rest.

Causes Of Sleep Deprivation

I know this is going to hurt and it’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth, whether you like it or not: if you are suffering from a sleep disorder, you are causing it! That’s right; the number one cause of sleep deprivation is your lifestyle; the choices you are making everyday are going to dictate whether or not you will sleep at night. If you are having some sort of sleep problem, most likely you are doing or not doing something that’s is causing it.

People always argue and fight about the causes of sleep deprivation; they spend years and millions of dollars developing drugs that will supposedly solve insomnia… But you know just as well as I do that this doesn’t work. And not only do sleeping pills not work, they are potentially dangerous and in the vast majority of cases, cause even more sleep or health problems. As a matter of fact sleep medication consumption is one of the lifestyle choices that can directly cause sleep deprivation.

I know you probably think this sounds crazy and are wondering “What? How can sleep medications be the cause of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders?” They may not be the direct cause; other poor lifestyle choices may trigger the sleep deprivation, but sleep medications will only increase the problem and add more negative components to it. But enough about sleeping pills, this is not the topic here, if you want to learn more about this read Chapter 23 (p.129) of How To Get A Better And Healthier Sleep Starting Tonight

Here is a non exhaustive list of the causes of sleep deprivation:

• Caffeine consumption

• Alcohol consumption

• Smoking

• Stress

• Working shifts

• Lack of routine

• Poor scheduling

• Inadequate exposure to light (improper amount and wrong time)

• Bad bed

• Inadequate room temperature

• Poor diet

• Being overweight/obese

• Inadequate “before bed activities” (such as watching TV, working, being on the computer…)

• Lack of or no exercise

• Medication consumption

• etc…

The one exception that wouldn’t be a lifestyle choice causing sleep deprivation, would be an illness or a physical pain. But you would have to ask yourself “Why do I have this pain or illness? Is it because of poor lifestyle choices?”

So the point and conclusion of this section is that you are totally responsible for your own sleep problem, you created it, you nurtured it and not you have to find a way to fix it. But let me tell you this: fixing it will not come from the outside in (such as taking a pill), but from the inside out (making the proper changes in one or probably many areas of your life).

Symptoms Of Sleep Deprivation

Most symptoms of sleep deprivation are easy to recognize:

• Difficulty getting out of bed

• Constant yawning

• Difficulty concentrating

• Dozing off

• Grogginess during the day

• Irritability and mood swings

• Feeling tired all the time

You can also have a look at the effects of sleep deprivation to get an idea of how this can show up in a person.

Sleep Deprivation Solutions

There are two solutions to solving sleep deprivation, however, you don’t necessarily have to do both depending on the problem. Are you ready?

1. Get more sleep

2. Get better sleep

That’s right sleep deprivation needs to be solved by doing either of the above or both. Now the question is “How?” Well there is not short answer to that, just like there is no magic pill that will solve your problem once and for all.

First you need to determine what your problem is to get solutions for your sleep deprivation. Is it really that your are not sleeping enough hours? Or is it that you are not getting good quality and restorative sleep? You see many people mistaken poor quality sleep for lack of sleep when really there are two different problems all together.

You could be sleeping 10 hours, but if you don’t get the right kind of sleep then you might as well stay up all night. Sleep quality, as with many other things in life is at least 10 times more important than quantity.

So how do you go about getting more sleep and most importantly more quality sleep? First you can browse through www.wesleepbetter.com where you will find countless tips that can help you sleep better right away.

But to take it to the next step and truly transform your life, I have written a whole manual that takes you by the hand and explains everything for you, step by step, just as if you were talking to me on a consultation, only better since you can have access to it 24/7.

To start sleeping better tonight purchase “How To Get A Better And Healthier Sleep Starting Tonight”.

Dr. Simon Marmier is dedicated to improving the life of mankind worldwide. He maintains a private wellness practice in northern Spain, where he is helping people regain and maintain optimal health naturally. He is the author of “How To Get A Better And Healthier Sleep Starting Tonight”. For more infomation on sleep, visit his sleep help and tips website to solve your insomnia problems naturally.

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