On a natural study about sleep, Americans are known to realize the benefits of sleeping, but only 10% of the population prioritize it. In a poll from National Sleep Foundation, priorities are broken down into the following numbers:
With the rise of demanding working hours and technology, our lives are so fast-paced that we simply don’t have time for sleep. We can even consider ourselves a sleep-deprived society and this can be really alarming, especially with regards to our health.
Everyone’s sleeping patterns vary. Most of us are good with less than 8 hours of sleep and some are still tired even after 9 hours of sleep. It depends on our physical needs, environment, and our own circadian rhythm.
Here are few of the symptoms that you might have been feeling if you’re getting little to no sleep:
Fatigue & brain fog
Ever wondered why you can’t fall asleep when you’re already feeling tired? It’s because your body is still in overdrive and producing adrenaline at night because of the stress that you underwent throughout the day. At night, you’re looking forward to falling asleep soundly but instead, you’re feeling twice as anxious and all of a sudden, you feel like you can still clean the house at 1:00 AM.
Brain fog isn’t a medically recognized term, but it’s commonly known as “feelings of confusion”, “forgetfulness”, and “lack of focus and mental clarity”. While it’s fairly common to people, it’s not normal. Brain fog is when your brain feels foggy, unfocused, and you feel like you can’t think. It is usually related to lifestyle or a side-effect of a medical condition or a medication.
Brain fog and chronic fatigue can go hand in hand when your body hasn’t been getting enough sleep.
Weak Immune System
When you’re running on very little sleep and it’s becoming a habit, you might start to notice that you’re catching colds easily and it might be taking longer for it to go away. That’s because sleep has been linked to a long list of mental and physical health and mental problems, including the impairment of our immune system. If you’re not sleeping properly, it can stop your immune system from functioning properly– leading to more sick days.
Risk of obesity
Sleep is responsible for producing our growth hormone which favors fat over muscle. Also, people who are lacking in sleep are more likely to turn off the alarm instead of waking up early to exercise. Plus, how can you lead a healthy lifestyle if you don’t have the energy for it?
There are a lot of natural ways to help get a better sleep at night. The first step would be to determine how much sleep your body needs by counting the hours you’ve slept and felt rejuvenated without waking up to an alarm clock. You can try an Epsom salt bath or incorporate essential oils into your daily routine.
Meanwhile, there are natural ways that can enhance your sleep such as:
Meditation & Muscle Relaxation
Intrusive thoughts can interfere with sleep so it’s not exactly a surprise that aiming for a quiet mind before going to bed can improve your sleep quality. Quieting the mind and relaxing your muscles can be effective treatments towards insomnia. Several studies linked these two with results of higher blood levels of melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep and waking patterns.
Milk & Honey
You’ve been probably told as a child that before you go to sleep, a warm cup of milk could help you sleep better at night. It’s actually true because milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan which helps in inducing sleep by increasing the amount of serotonin, a hormone that’s a natural sedative in the brain. Carbs, like honey, can help transmit that hormone to your brain faster. Keep in mind that there are drinks that can help you sleep and not sleep, so you might want to be mindful of what you drink after dinner.
Create a sleep-friendly environment
If you’re already having trouble sleeping, creating a calm and relaxing sleep environment is important for uninterrupted slumber. You might want to remove digital clocks and other electronics that glow. Even cell phones and laptops should be switched off and on silent mode so it won’t wake you up in the middle of the night. You might want to invest in curtains or blinds that block outdoor lights as well. The room temperature can also play a big role in the quality of your sleep. A good temperature should be between 60 and 67 degrees.
Drink Enough Water During The Day
Make sure that you’re drinking enough water during the day but not 2 hours before bedtime. This is to avoid waking up in the middle of the night just to use the bathroom. It’s also a good idea to use the bathroom before sleeping to empty your bladder.
While these natural ways can be harmless, if you think you’re experiencing something that’s more than just having lack of sleep, always consult a medical practitioner first, especially if it involves taking supplements and other alternatives that can counter other medications that you’re currently taking.
Never look at the clock if you can’t get to sleep. It will piss you off and cause you to stay awake longer.
Tomorrow is 1s’t day to work after a 10 days long vacation!! All the shit will happen again! Man, I really gotta sleep because its 2 am and I need to wake up at 6.
I have suffered from insomnia for a long time and another tip I’d like to add is Magnesium. I drink a cup of warm water and powdered magnesium about an hour before I want to sleep and it helps calm me down.
I will try these and I am very confident that will work thank you for this tips.
My tips: 1. If you are hot and bothered or simply uncomfortable, change your pajamas and you’ll feel much better. 2) Open a window or turn on the fan so you’re in a cooler environment,3) Shut down electrical devices or turn down the brightness to make sure you feel ok. 4) If you sleep alone in a big bed, switch to the other side of the bed for a while to coll off 5) Look at pictures of people sleeping, it’s been proven to help you get to sleep since it triggers the brain to go to sleep. Hope this will help.
Watching TV is actually the best sleep medicine ever for me. If I lay down on the couch or on the bed and watch a movie or a television series in the evening BOOM, I’m asleep.
I think darkening curtains disrupt the wakening up the process and cause disorientation in the morning.
How to get sleep?? Get drunk as a sunk and pass out.
No kidding! I think sleep deprivation is the single health issue that Americans Ignore.
Exercise is such an overlooked idea for sleeping.
I actually bought a little night light to keep in the bathroom so that when I get to pee in the middle of the night I don’t have to deal with the bright light of the regular bathroom light. So I just brush my teeth and turn it off in the morning when I get up. It’s been great.
Thanks. I really like this and needed these suggestions. My mother especially does not sleep well and I see why by some of these reasons. I’ll try to see if I can help her with what you have said here.
I basically have the same rituals to sleep. very night, I lie in bed, relax my whole body, wiggle my shoulders, move my head side to side, adjust myself to be comfortable and then I place my hands on my hips. And literally, I’m out in seconds!!
Try meditating before going to bed if you have too many thoughts. You can start by just focusing on your breath and looking at your thoughts without being in them, you know?? Maybe it’ll help.
Considering my research, it is the most useful to sleep in the night time. Between 11 pm to 2 am, our body excretes a hormone, which makes us energetic, productive, alive, and fit when we wake up.
Always struggled with sleep!! And my husband is a bad sleeper and with our new baby, it really messed us up. I like to count sheep!! If that doesn’t work. I keep imagining the future, good thoughts of playing on the beach with my family and then I pray and sleep.
I’m always having a hard time sleeping, this will really help.
I did notice that it’s hard to sleep when I’m really tired. That explains it.
I never believed that milk can enhance sleep even when I was a kid. I thought it was just because kids can grow faster when they drink milk before they sleep.
I thought of that too so I did a couple of research. Turns out mom’s advice is helpful!
Back then, I was trying so hard to try to fit exercise on my daily schedule so I tried it at night, but instead of making me feel tired and helping me sleep better at night, it did the opposite. I had a harder time sleeping.
Milk and honey sound great. I should try that.?
I always try to get enough sleep regularly. In just 3 days of not being able to sleep well, I’m already down with a cold!
Meditation is quite hard to master. I do try a little quiet time hours before I sleep but my thoughts keep running and I can’t seem to clear my mind. It could probably help to create a peaceful ambiance.
I eat dinner quite late and whenever I’m eating, I could drink almost an entire pitcher of water or sometimes even a pitcher and a half. The problem is that I end up wanting to pee a lot at night. It’s so annoying!
You should be mindful of how you drink. That can literally make you feel less sleepy!
I have insomnia and I must say that these tips really do help even for a little.
How do I do muscle relaxation? Yoga at night? Won’t that make me have an adrenaline rush?
I drink milk at night but without the honey. It sounds nice though.?
I usually avoid heavy dinner and carbs at night and I think it helps. Ever since I just started to eat easily digested food at night, I was able to sleep soundly.
I try my best not to take any gadgets with me in the bedroom especially 2 hours before bedtime. If I’m going to browse social media, I’ll leave that in the living room but not in the bedroom.
Sometimes I feel like I’m experiencing brain fog, but I think it’s just over fatigue or emotional distress. I usually take about a day or two to let myself rest and recuperate. ?
It’s good to give yourself a break once in a while. Don’t worry too much!
You should really take into consideration other medications that you’re taking if you’re planning to take supplements. Even herbal supplements can counter certain medications.
My issue with keeping the room dark is that the more I end up oversleeping and my entire body feels worse the next day.
Whenever I need deep sleep, I use a mentholated balm and rub it on my forehead. For some reason, I fall asleep faster and I just feel really relaxed.
This is so true, I thought I was eating too much that’s why I was gaining weight, turns out it was because of stress and lack of sleep.?
I have a friend who works night shift and even if I’m seeing her eat healthy, her body isn’t in a good shape.
I’m good with sleeping for 6 hours and I’m not sure if I’m doing it right. From previous studies it should be 8-10 hours of sleep but sleeping that long makes me twice as tired.