Increased Stress from Sleep Deprivation Explained
© Michelle Howard Smith - All Rights Reserved
Let's face it. Nobody is immune to stress. Loss off employment, illness and the death of a loved one are all events that can contribute to increased stress levels. However, events like these are not necessarily within your control. If that is the case, then proactively attending to the things that can cause increased stress and are within your control becomes extremely important.
It's reported that sleep deprivation is a problem for 40% of Americans. That's a lot of folks with issues falling or staying asleep. When you don't get enough sleep, not only do you start to feel stress from sleep deprivation, you are robbing your body of the time that's required for it to be energized. You are also depriving it of a much needed environment to foster natural healing. Failing to get enough sleep causes increased stress from sleep deprivation.
Increased stress from sleep deprivation accounts for a number of physical, mental and emotional problems upon awakening. These include but certainly are not limited to:
* Increased rates of sickness
* Nausea
* Dizziness
* Forgetfulness
* Feeling sluggish
* Burning Eyes
* Poor concentration
* Fuzzy thinking
* Poor judgment
I've experienced each of the physical symptoms above at one time or another as a result of neglecting to get enough snooze time. It’s dangerous so if you are not getting the recommended amount of sleep you are putting your health and the health of others at risk. One bad decision or delayed reaction due to being "short-circuited," can be detrimental.
The National Sleep Foundation estimates that drivers who are sleep deprived cause more than 100,000 automobile accidents each year that result in more than 1,500 deaths. It is recommended that you get 8 to 9 hours sleep per night. Getting the recommended amount of sleep is not negotiable. However, it doesn't stop there.
Your quality of sleep is just as important as the length of pillow time (the sleeping kind) you put in. So, if your body is used to sleeping from 9pm-5/6am, when you switch that schedule by going to bed at midnight and rising at 8am, you still wake up not feeling quite rested even though you've just slept for 8 full hours. The reason is that your body was accustomed to start winding down at a certain time and you have now pushed it past its limit. This can lead to insomnia.
When your body is forced to stay awake, you are not adequately prepared to deal with challenges that may lead to stress. When you have stress from sleep deprivation, you are not physically, mentally or emotionally prepared to handle any existing stressors in your life. By simply getting the appropriate amount of sleep, you can significantly reduce your stress levels. Reduce your stress levels by getting the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep nightly around the same time. This will help you to effectively combat existing and future stress. Your body and mind will be in better condition to respond accordingly.
