When the topic of sleep crops up in conversation, it's often a controversial subject. Some people get good sleep each night, others ample and some struggle.
If you were asked about your sleep, how would you position yourself?
Well, if you're like most Brits, you might find yourself struggling to get some shut-eye. Alarmingly, in a survey of 2000 people, 79% showed they struggled to get to sleep, and 60% regularly woke up in the night with worries.
With the rise of devices, stress and on the go lifestyle, our sleep health can easily get neglected.
But it shouldn't. Sleep plays a detrimental role in your recovery, mental and physical health. To know why it's so essential, keep on reading.
Why sleep is important (mental/physical effects)
You probably have had the topic of sleep drilled into your head from an early age by your parents, and rightly so. But have you ever wondered why it's so important? Sleep can help you with the following:
Helps with mood
When you sleep, your brain helps process your emotions, allowing you to react a certain way during the day. If you get a good amount of sleep every day, you're able to have a reset button and be better prepared to face challenges. You're less likely to experience negative reactions and recognise when things go wrong.
Better memory
There's research which shows a lack of sleep can lead to serious impairments in brain functions like memory, performance and cognition. If you don't get enough, you may find it difficult to process information or perform well in work, school or anywhere else. As a result, it may be more difficult to make decisions and be subject to poor judgment.
Reduces the risk of heart disease
Getting good sleep can help you regulate your blood pressure, lowering your risk of heart disease and other sleep conditions which can affect heart health.
Can help prevent depression
There are a lot of links between bad sleep health and depression. In 2016 a meta-analysis was conducted, which showed strong links between insomnia and depression. It's thought disturbances to sleep can impair your emotional stability and regulation, changing neural pathways and making you feel more depressed.
A healthier immune system
Sleep can help restore and repair the cells in your body, making you feel more refreshed. This is because your body produces growth hormones that are vital for development. During sleep, they help repair tissues and cells and produce cytokines which help your immune system fight infections. If you don't sleep enough, your body can be prone to more infections like colds and flu.
Common causes of sleep deprivation
If you feel you're suffering from a lack of sleep, it may be due to one or several reasons. Sleep disturbances can be down to sleep environment, daytime habits, changes to routine or illness. You must realise the main causes of sleep deprivation, so you can take action to address them. Some of the main causes of sleep deprivation are:
Stress
Unregulated stress can cause major problems with how you sleep at night. In particular, high levels can make it longer for you to fall asleep and cause you to have broken sleep. If you're in a high state of alertness, it can regulate your sleep wake cycle, making you alert at the wrong times. Stress can also stop you from having a deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM), which is essential for your physical and mental health.
Bad habits or environment
Another factor to consider is your habits during the daytime. If you consume too much caffeine, have little or no exercise, have too much screen time or are exposed to light, you may suffer from bad sleep.
Substances
Stimulants like cocaine, amphetamines and more drugs can impair sleep and keep you awake at night. Similarly, alcohol can make your sleep worse by inducing snoring, disrupting your deep sleep and making you wake up earlier than you normally would.
Medical problems
Your sleep may be fragmented if you have any medical problems like heartburn, thyroid disease, mental health issues, and more. Similarly, if you're taking medication, a side effect might be bad sleep. If you feel like this might be the case, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Natural ways to improve sleep
If you feel like you suffer from bad sleep, don't worry; you can fix it naturally in a few ways. Here are some natural aids you can try for yourself:
Exercise
Physical exercise can dramatically improve your sleep, and it's thought that steady, moderate aerobic exercise can help you have a better deep sleep. This is due to the endorphins released, allowing you to feel more energised after a run. It also helps raise your body temperature, helping signify to your body when to wake up and when to sleep. If you exercise already, try and avoid exercising two hours before you sleep.
Stick to dark room
Try and avoid light at all costs before going to bed. This isn't just your phone light; you'll want to reduce any lighting from your bathroom to your bedroom, as it provides fewer visual disturbances.
Don’t smoke
There's research which shows smokers are four times more likely not to feel like they're well rested from a full night's sleep in comparison to non-smokers. It's thought that the night time withdrawal of nicotine can make you wake up more. Similarly, smoking also makes sleep disorders like asthma and sleep apnea worse.
