Sleep Deprivation in Parents Causes|Symptoms|Effects|Treatments
Did you know:
The average person spends about 26 years sleeping in their life which equates to 9,490 days or 227,760 hours.
The thing is that this 26 years of good rest helps us to enjoy the rest of our life with a smile on our face. Each day we live is like a new chapter of our life and sleeping is like fuelling your body to face that next chapter. It is rightly said that a good laugh and a quality sleep are the two best cures for everything. But in today’s busy and stressful life, people are ignoring their sleep which invites issues such as Insomnia, hypertension, sleep apnea, obesity, etc. Today, we will drive you through the causes, effects, symptoms, and treatment for sleep deprivation. Let us begin!
1.Why is Sleep so important?
Sleep is one of the most important factors of living a healthy life. Whenever there is a discussion about health, we often mention good food, exercise, lifestyle, habits, etc but have we ever mentioned proper sleep? I guess never. In today’s day and age, parents get very little time from their work, family, etc that they forget about getting a proper night’s sleep which will eventually affect their health. Doctors recommend around 7-8 hours of sleep each night to maintain our physical and mental health. Sleep also plays a vital role in increasing our day-to-day productivity. It helps you to concentrate on your work by eliminating negative thoughts.
Your social life is highly dependent on your mental well-being. When we are sleep deprived, we tend to reduce our social interactions and it may even affect our close relationships. We may throw out our anger at our partner and kids which spoils our bondings in the future. So let us see what actually causes sleep deprivation.
2.What are the causes of sleep deprivation?
Parenthood
When we enter into parenthood we all bid adieu to our sleep to look after our newborn baby. Newborn babies don’t follow any particular sleep schedule. Parents have to deal with the sleep patterns of the baby and make him/her comfortable. Sleep deprivation is common during parenthood because parents have to manage their busy lives, work schedules along with their family.
Social Media
Social media plays an important role in your sleep deprivation. In the past few decades, we have become a kind of slave to our devices. We can’t even leave them for a minute. The researchers have found that using mobile on any kind of device before going to bed results in bad quality of sleep. A person needs at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night. Devices we use emit blue light which disrupts our pattern of sleep cycle which makes us feel tired the other day.
Work demand
Parents go through a very tight schedule of work along with managing their daily life. Many a time, parents are unable to complete their work demands in the given time which forces them to finish their work by sacrificing their sleep. This can result in various illnesses in the long run such as Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, stress, and depression, etc. Let us study the illnesses in depth.
Insomnia
We all have heard this word called Insomnia and we all know one person in our circle who suffers from it. Insomnia is nothing but a sleep disorder where you find it difficult to fall asleep even when your body is tired enough. There is no particular period for insomnia. It can last for 2 days or even 2 months depending on the situation the person is facing. There are many therapies and medications available for treating Insomnia.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a sleeping disorder where breathing starts and stops repeatedly. During sleep apnea, a person snores loudly and feels tired even after a full night of sleep. Some other symptoms include morning headaches, fatigue, etc. Sleep apnea can be controlled by making some lifestyle changes, exercising, and using breathing devices at nigh
Stress and depression
Stress and depression have become our daily problems. We deal with so many things at a time which results in stress and depression. Parents have to manage their work-life along with their social life which puts immense pressure on them. This can cause disorders such as insomnia. Sleep apnea, etc making the situation worse.
Now we know the causes behind sleep deprivation, but how do we know that we are being targeted by sleep deprivation. So let us see the:
3.Symptoms of Sleep deprivation:
- Mood Swings
- Lack of focus
- Continuous Yawning
- Bad memory
- Fatigue
- Lack of energy
- Irritability
Sleep deprivation can affect your body in a negative way and can result in issues such as obesity, cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure, etc. So let us study them in detail:
4.How sleep deprivation can affect our body?
Hormone production
Lack of sleep can affect the level of hormone production in the body. When you are sleep deprived your body produces stress hormones such as Cortisol. When your body starts producing excessive amounts of these hormones, it may start affecting your overall health and will reduce the production of hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and other hormones related to reproduction.
Fertility
.Hypertension
When you lack good quality sleep, it might result in hypertension where blood pressure becomes irregular. Many kinds of research show that when you sleep less than 6 hours, you can suffer from several heart diseases or even stroke. In times of hypertension, we generally focus on our diet and nutrition and we ignore the most important factor i.e sleep. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep to control hypertension.
Obesity
The lack of good quality sleep might result in hormonal imbalance in the body. A sleep-deprived person will find themselves hungry due to an imbalance in food hormones which may lead to weight gain. Your sleep will also play with your metabolism levels again affecting your appetite for food. People who sleep late at night have a habit of having high caloric foods before bed which makes you gain weight quickly. They will always find themselves fatigued and tired during the day which will reduce any exercise or movements.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition in which the insulin levels in the body become irregular. Many types of researches found a link between diabetes and sleep deprivation. When you are sleep deprived your body creates resistance to the hormone insulin which will result in high blood sugar levels in the body. These irregularities in the hormones can affect other parts of the body such as kidneys, liver, and heart. A diabetic person should aim to get at least 7 hours of quality sleep in order to keep their blood sugar levels in control.
So as we saw, sleep deprivation can be an invitation to numerous diseases which can affect the quality of our life. But not to worry, every problem has a solution and when properly implemented can get you out of trouble. So let us see:
5. How to get the best sleep of your life?
1.Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Caffeine is a stimulant that helps you to maintain focus and concentrate on your work. It works best when you want to avoid feeling sleepy and want to be productive in your work. But when you consume caffeine in the evening or before your bedtime, it might disturb your sleep cycle and can make you feel fatigued the next morning. Alcohol on the other hand is a sedative that makes you feel sleepy and tired. But when you consume it in excess, it will deteriorate the quality of your sleep. Apart from poor quality of sleep, alcohol can result in mood swings, dark circles, behavioural changes, stress, and anxiety, etc.
2.Exercise
Exercising daily can help you to improve your sleep cycle and maintain good health. When we exercise our body temperature rises and as we finish our workout, the body comes back to its normal temperature which signals the mind to relax. Exercising makes our body go through some rigorous tasks which makes us feel tired and can help us quickly fall asleep. Make sure not to exercise before bedtime as during workouts our body releases hormones such as adrenaline which increases our alertness and may cause trouble in sleeping.
3.Meditation
Meditation is the practice of diving deep into oneself by focusing on the thoughts and feelings running through our minds. It helps your mind to be calm and relaxed which can help you to sleep better. One of the biggest causes of Insomnia is said to be stress and depression. Meditation can be that weapon that will help you to combat the issue of Insomnia and will help you sleep better. A 15-minute meditation session before bed is enough to give you your desired results. Try it today and you won’t regret it.
4.Eating habits
Your eating habits play a crucial role in maintaining your sleep cycle. Your meal timing can decide the quality of your sleep. If you are having trouble sleeping, don’t consume large meals before going to bed. Instead include some small meals in your diet which are high in melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin and serotonin are the hormones responsible for better sleep.
Foods that help you to sleep are almonds, walnuts, peanuts, berries, milk, oatmeal, seeds, etc
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5.Reading
Reading a book before going to bed relaxes your mind and body. Reading has been proven to reduce your stress levels and provides you relief from everyday work. Reading a novel helps you to go into some different world for a while which helps you forget all your worries. Reading is like meditating as it slow downs your breathing and makes you calmer.
6.Bid adieu to Long naps
Sleeping at irregular intervals can disrupt your sleep cycle and results in a night without proper sleep. Many of us have a habit of sleeping in the afternoon. We never realize when that 1-hour nap turns into a 3 hours nap. So it’s time for you to bid goodbye to your naps.
7.Say no to electronic devices
We know the kind of comfort a cozy bed and a favourite show to binge can give you. But it has been proven that the blue light emitted by these devices will disturb your sleep cycle and will reduce the quality of your sleep. This may give rise to some unwanted guests such as obesity, stress, fatigue, dark circles, etc from which we want to stay away. Therefore, say no to electronic devices at least 1 hour before your bedtime.
8.Therapy and medications
If you are unable to solve your issue of sleep deprivation after making changes in your lifestyle then it’s time for you to get therapy. There are many therapists who will help you to get out of this trouble. Apart from that, there are some medications and supplements available in the market which can help you. We advise you to go for medication only if your problem becomes severe.
6. Takeaway
Sleep deprivation is a very underrated issue in today’s busy world. The ignorance of sleep deprivation may be costly for us in the future as it brings several diseases along with it. So if you are someone facing any sleep disorders then we advise you to visit your doctor or bring necessary changes into your lifestyle.