March is National Sleep Awareness Month. It’s the perfect time to explore ways in which the negative effects of poor sleep can take a toll on your long-term health. Below, we’ll also dig into strategies to help improve your sleep.
How much sleep do I need?
Exactly how much sleep you require depends on multiple factors, including genetics. In general, most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Depending on age, kids often need as much as 12 or 13 hours of sleep. You’ll know you’ve gotten enough sleep when you easily awaken, feel refreshed, and don’t experience significant daytime sleepiness.
What if I have a sleepless night?
Everyone has an occasional sleepless night. Maybe you’re anxious about a big presentation or stayed up too late. Your body and mind can easily recover within a day or two, but in the short term, you may experience some mild but annoying symptoms:
- Moodiness or crankiness
- Feeling less alert
- Lack of interest in hobbies or other activities
- Strong desire to sleep
- Minor memory troubles
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Headaches
The negative effects of poor sleep
A sleepless night is one thing. But if you’re sleep deprived for a long period of time, you may start to develop more serious issues:
- Depression and/or anxiety
- Worsening memory difficulties
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Premature aging
- Decreased immune response
- Lower sex drive
- Heart trouble
Another common side effect of sleep deprivation is poor performance. Whether you’re working on an important project or an athlete preparing for a big game, sleep is essential for peak performance. The worse your sleep deficit, the more poorly you are likely to perform.
Repairing the body and mind
It’s clear that a lack of sleep can lead to a variety of serious and even chronic conditions. Scientists believe that this is because your body and brain use the hours you are asleep for repair. Your brain acts sort of like a kidney when you’re asleep, removing accumulated toxins. Meanwhile, your body repairs all the microtrauma it endured throughout the day. Not prioritizing sleep is roughly equivalent to failing to do your car’s regular maintenance. Sooner or later, you will end up paying the price.
How to get better sleep
Sleep difficulties are incredibly common in today’s always-on world. In fact, the CDC notes that about 36% of American adults don’t get enough sleep. Fortunately, there are proactive steps you can take to improve your sleep quality and duration.
- Eat dinner at least 3 hours before bed. Digestion is hard work, and trying to process a large meal can keep you awake. If you want a bedtime snack, eat a small amount of easily digested complex carbohydrates.
- Limit spicy foods. Spicy and acidic foods can cause indigestion, which is exactly what you don’t want when trying to fall asleep. Some spices also increase body temperature, but your temperature needs to drop to promote sleep.
- Avoid alcohol. It’s easy to drop off to sleep after a stiff drink, but when the effects of the alcohol wear off, you will inevitably awaken. This often occurs during what should be the deepest and most restorative levels of sleep.
- Practice healthy daytime behaviors. Wearing yourself out with plenty of exercise and staying well hydrated can promote restful sleep. Just don’t do either too close to bedtime, or you may have trouble falling or staying asleep.
- Create bedtime rituals. Humans are creatures of habit, so start creating restful habits around bedtime. Late in the evening, dim the lights. Turn off electronic devices. Read a book or take a hot bath.
- Sleep the same hours every night. There’s a reason that people on rotating shifts tend to have higher than average rates of sleep disorders. Your body’s natural rhythms depend on settling into a routine. Resist the urge to stay up late or sleep in on the weekends. Short naps early in the day are OK, but excessive daytime sleepiness is best addressed by improving your nighttime sleep.
What about sleep disorders?
Not every case of poor sleep can be solved with the tips above. If you’ve made a concerted effort to improve your sleep but are still struggling, you may have a sleep disorder. These can be caused by everything from chronic illnesses to medication side effects, but can also stand alone.
In this case, it’s well worth asking your doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist. These dedicated professionals can conduct a sleep study to get a baseline for your current sleep and delve deep into your medical and mental health history to get to the root cause of your issues. High-quality sleep is essential for your long-term mental and physical wellbeing, so it only makes sense to seek professional help for ongoing or severe sleep issues.