Most people spend as much as 40% of their lives sleeping! That’s a long time. Despite this sobering number, many people still walk around feeling sleep deprived and fatigued.
What are the some of the signs that you may be sleep deprived?
1. You forget where you parked your car on a frequent basis
2. You can’t keep your eyes open and frequently blink during the day
3. You tend to drift between lanes while driving
4. You rub your eyes frequently during the day
5. You yawn more than and couple of time during the day
6. You find it difficult to concentrate for any length of time
7. You drop things unexpectedly
8. You startle at small noises or sudden but not loud sounds
9. You can’t remember where you’re going while driving
10. You fall asleep at the drop of a hat
This is a short list of possible sleep deprivation symptoms. There may also be several other sleep saboteurs that are preventing you from getting needed shuteye. Some of these include stress, hunger, dehydration, lack of a comfortable environment, illness, depression, pain and medication.
Everyone is different, and getting deep rejuvenating sleep requires that you become somewhat of a sleep detective for your own body within the context of your own lifestyle. What can be disturbing is the ease with which sleep medication can be prescribed, many times in a way that appears to be a ‘one size fits all’ approach. You’re not sleeping, so take this pill. OTC sleep aids are freely available too, so it’s easy to swallow something for quick relief.
Imagine that you as you are driving your vehicle and you hear a clunking sound coming from the engine. So you pull into a gas station and pour a well known additive into the gas tank because someone advised you that gas additives make for smoother running engines. You get back in the car, start the engine and off you go. The clunking sound is still there.
Wouldn’t it be smarter to find out why the clunking sound is there before trying to treat the symptom? Maybe it’s short of oil… No additive in the gas tank would fix that.
I am not down on the medical profession, they do a great job. However, giving some attention to lifestyle, diet, environment, time management, stress, and so on, could go a long way to naturally resolving sleep problems before there is any need for medication.
Stress for example, is arguably the number one contributor to poor sleep. What if you could eliminate or significantly reduce stress in your life? Do you think that it would affect your sleep? Absolutely! And, there are many other health benefits to reducing stress too.
Here’s a suggested checklist for reducing stress
1. Reduce the clutter in your life
2. Learn to say ‘No’ more often
3. Eliminate objections that are unnecessary
4. Journal your thoughts
5. Exercise regularly
6. Eat a well balanced diet
7. Take a multi-vitamin supplement
8. Consider meditating for 5-10 minutes every day
9. Take at least 10 minutes out of the day for yourself
10. Establish a consistent bedtime routine
11. Avoid bright lights in the evening
12. Avoid watch too much television
Dealing with just a few of the items in the list above could boost your immune system and health, as well as help you sleep better. Finding natural ways through lifestyle changes and generally taking better care of yourself could help normalize your sleep cycle sooner than you ever thought possible.
Sweet dreams.