Insomnia: How Lack of Sleep Can Damage Your Health
What is Insomnia?
The average person spends approximately 1/3 of his or her life sleeping. Although we do not yet fully understand either the purpose or the mechanics of sleep, we do know that an insufficient amount can have far-reaching consequences: our work performance, our personal relationships, and our physical and mental health all depend on getting an appropriate amount of rest.
The inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep throughout the night is a condition known as insomnia, and it is among the most common of all medical complaints; approximately 1/3 of all people experience a period of insomnia at least once during their lifetime. Individuals with insomnia typically experience at least one of the following symptoms:
– Difficulties falling asleep;
– Inability to stay asleep, or waking up too early;
– Sleepiness during the day;
– Fatigue or lack of energy;
– Irritability;
– Headache;
– Decreased ability to concentrate;
– Increased errors or accidents;
– Depression and/or anxiety;
– Continual worry about sleep.
Health Risks of Insomnia
If you are not getting the sleep that you need, your insomnia may eventually lead to serious consequences for your health. In the short term, your alertness and focus are impaired, which can have a negative effect on your school or work performance. Relationship problems may result from irritability due to lack of sleep, while fatigue may prevent you from participating in your normal activities.
In the long-term, the complications of insomnia can be even more severe. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and mood disorders are all associated with chronic insomnia; these conditions can be life-threatening, and they will certainly reduce the quality of your life.
What Causes Insomnia?
Insomnia is symptomatic of a large number of physiological disorders; if you are having difficulty sleeping, chances are that an underlying health problem is to blame. Illness, infection, mental health disorders, and medications can all keep you from getting the proper amount of rest. Hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances can affect your body’s ability to fall asleep, and dietary deficiencies can cause insomnia, as well. Exposure to toxic elements such as heavy metals, molds, and other environmental pollutants have also been shown to impair sleep.
Finding the Cause of Insomnia
By determining what is causing your insomnia, your health care provider will be better able to help you design a plan for managing your sleep problem. To find out what is keeping you up at night, your doctor may ask you a series of questions about your lifestyle, your sleeping environment, and even the sleep habits of your partner. A variety of lab tests can also be useful in pinpointing the cause of your insomnia in the event that a health problem is involved.
Managing Insomnia
The first step to getting back to sleep is to treat the underlying cause. Establishing good sleep habits may include nutritional support, exercise, detoxification, and incorporating a relaxation technique into your daily routine.
Good sleep hygiene is important for getting the rest you need. By following the guidelines listed here, you will find yourself drifting off easily, without the constant worry about getting enough sleep every night.
– Stick to a constant sleep schedule, with a consistent bed time and wake-up time;
– Avoid bright lights (including the television and computer) for at least two hours before bedtime;
– Do not exercise within three hours of bedtime;
– Make sure your bedroom is for sleeping – keep the TV, computer, and any other distractions in another room;
– Make sure your sleeping environment is cool, dark and quiet;
– Avoid caffeine, smoking, and alcohol, especially before bed;
– Don’t eat right before you go to bed;
– Try a relaxation exercise such as deep breathing before you turn in.
Over-the-counter and prescription sleep medications are best avoided; they may help you fall asleep, but they can be habit-forming, and they have a variety of negative side effects. By identifying the cause of your insomnia and making some adjustments to your lifestyle, you should be able to overcome your sleep difficulties naturally.
To order online lab test kits to identify the visit HealthRemedies.com. Receive 10% off your next purchase by entering discount code SLEEP upon checkout. Valerie Balandra NP is a nurse practitioner that takes a naturopathic and functional medicine approach in her patient care. Valerie is available for telephone consultations by calling 941 371-7997.
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My family owns a car rental shop but its well known to provide good service and good cars. Even our town mayor would rent a car in our shop. We have customers who like to rent our cars. I guess it’s a practical thing to do when you don’t own a car. We hope to make widen the scope of our business soon.
I am brand-new to blogging and actually loved your website.
Great article. In your opinion, am I better off just making my own jewelry organizer?
5. I was studying a book in our library and I was so amazed at the things that the author emphasized in the book. He fundamentally talked about life in general and how people ignore a lot of important things and spending most of their time worrying on irrelevant things.
1.I was invited a few months ago to be a speaker at a high school in a nearby town . I’ve been in several career talks before as a speaker and I’m looking forward about this new invitation since I consider it very rewarding to talk about career and life in general. Life in general can be a little difficult for many of us. people go to work to recompense for dues and credits and spare only a couple dollars for future use since we’re all used to living our lives in debt at the moment.
My partner and I were conversing about how we lived our lives in the past couple years and life in general. I always love spending moment with him through a wonderful conversation. Our teacher gave us a school assignment where we have to write a song regarding life in general. I’m studying Art and Music in a college in our city and I’m really thrilled to begin working on the project we were asked to do.
We were talking in class a painting during the Renaissance era. It was a classy painting about life in general during those times. There were characters in the painting performing their daily routines and the painting was like a portal of the past .
I was observing my children playing by the lawn and they were so busy playing with their toys. I constantly enjoy watching them as they are but every time I start thinking that they’ll be going to school soon worries me. Life in general can be very easy when you’re still young but things become difficult as you grow up.
8. I was observing my children playing by the lawn and they were so active playing with their toys. I constantly enjoy watching them as they are but every time I start thinking that they’ll be going to school soon worries me. Life in general can be very happy when you’re still little but things become different as you grow up.
I have a appointment with my dentist Monday to have my braces removed . I am so excited because I have been having my braces for 2 years now. I can no longer remember how I really appear without my braces. I’m planning to have a hair cut after going the dentist to have a full make over of myself. I’ll be visiting to the dentist tomorrow to accompany my grandfather. He’s having troubles with his false teeth because it keeps on coming off. Every time he eats or talks it would just unexpectedly come off and he finds it very embarrassing . We’re considering to have his false teeth adjusted or maybe get him some new ones.
I visited to the dentist a few weeks ago to have my braces on. I’m still having problems in eating because of the wires. I also noticed that I’m having a lot of wounds inside my mouth because of the wires and I consider it very undesirable. When I was little I’ve always wanted to become a dentist. That’s the reason why I went to the university to study dentistry. I’m already in my second year and I’m wishing that I’ll be able to do well in all the subjects so that I can graduate soon enough and be able to do my dream profession. We were playing at the pool yesterday when I accidentally tripped and hit my face on the ground . I thought nothing was wrong when I noticed I lost my front tooth. It was later that I realized that my lip was full of blood because of the lost tooth. We immediately went to the dentist to get it repaired.
I’m thinking to set an appointment with my dentist tomorrow for a check-up since I’ve been suffering from tooth sensitivity recently . I find it very agonizing to consume a glass of cold water which is definitely unusual for me. I was astonished to see my co-worker with really white teeth yesterday. She whispered she went to the dentist to have her teeth bleached. Because of her statements I’m planning to visit my dentist Thursday to have dental bleaching as well.
I went to the dentist a last month to have my braces on. I’m still having difficulty in eating because of the wires. I also noticed that I’m having a lot of wounds inside my mouth because of the wires and I consider it very undesirable. When I was little I’ve always dreamed to become a dentist. That’s the reason why I went to college to study dentistry. I’m currently in my second year and I’m wishing that I’ll be able to do well in all the courses so that I can finish soon enough and be able to practice my dream job . We were fooling around at the pool Saturday when I accidentally slipped and hit my face on the ground . I thought nothing was wrong when I realizes I lost my front tooth. It was later that I realized that my lip was full of blood because of the missing tooth. We instantaneously went to the dentist to get it fixed .
I always get pleasure from going to the mountains and stay there in a cottage for a couple of days to have some time for myself to escape from everything. It always relaxes me and it’s the only time when I get the chance to think about life in general and its importance.
My relative loves to read ancient poems and literary compositions about life in general. She in point of fact convinced me one time to participate a poetry reading session and it was a wonderful experience for me because the literary works we discussed were a good read.
It would be sensible for a person who does not have a car to just go to car rentals and rent a good one to use. Although it is a bit costly, it is still a necessity since the car would be really useful. For fathers that still don’t have the money to buy new one, I’m sure a lot of them would go to car rentals and just rent one.
My friend has a dealing on car rentals and he enjoys the idea having it. Part of his business is also fixing small parts of cars. He has become someone successful with his business and it has really help him with a lot of financial problems.Car rentals are one of the best services offered that I find witty so far. I can’t help thinking about cars being rented by people you barely are familiar with. Although it is a good business, it is rather risky for me since I am a kind of person who his profit.My father used to refuse the idea of renting a car from a car rental. He would say that it is to risky since it is not our personal car that we would be driving. Although we would be paying for the car, he would still refuse to ride it.
My friend has a small business on car rentals and he really loves having it. Part of his business is also fixing small parts of cars. He has become someone successful with his business and it has really help him with a lot of financial problems.Car rentals are one of the best business trends offered that I find amusing so far. I can’t help thinking about cars being rented by people you barely know. Although it is a strong business, it is rather risky for me since I am a kind of person who his profit.My father used to refuse the idea of renting a car from a car rental. He would say that it is an unsafe idea since it is not our personal car that we would be renting and using. Although we would be paying for the car, he would still refuse to ride it.