Are We Getting Enough Sleep?
According to Sleep For Kids, “As day turns to night, your brain makes a chemical called melatonin (mel-a-TONE-in) that makes you sleepy.”
http://sleepforkids.org/html/night.html
But you’re not here for scientific terms are you? Sleeping is how we restore our energy in order to keep our bodies in working order for the next day. We need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep in order to function properly. But we aren’t getting enough of it are we? While others choose to stay awake for binging their favourite T.V. shows, us workers have to stay awake for doing productive things, such working the night shift and working on important business cases. We feel the need to take extra time overnight because we think we might not be able to do enough in the day. That is understandable (especially if you are a career oriented person) since this is your way of making a living. However, not sleeping enough has many surprising effects that can limit your productivity.
Lack of sleep can affect you in the following ways:
- Sleep Loss Dumbs You Down
- Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Serious Health Problems
- Heart problems (heart disease, heart attack, heart failure)
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Sleep Loss Increases Depression
- Lack of Sleep Ages Your Skin
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss#1
You can get more sleep in the following ways:
- Set a good daily sleeping time and plan your work-related activities accordingly
- Try to get good exercise on a regular basis
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine
- Don’t eat a heavy meal late in the day, but a light snack before bedtime is OK
- Avoid naps after 3 p.m.
https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/how-to-get-more-sleep.html
Reference(s)
The National Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). Why We Sleep At Night. Retrieved from http://sleepforkids.org/html/night.html
Peri, C. (n.d.). 10 Things to Hate About Sleep Loss. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss#1
Simon, S. (2018). 10 Tips to Get More Sleep. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/how-to-get-more-sleep.html
Off-Balance 