Did you know that if you live to the ripe old age of 80, you will have spent around 26 to 30 years of your life asleep?
Sleep is a fundamental biological necessity – as important as food and water – yet it’s one of the first things to fall by the wayside when life gets busy. As a nation, we are chronically sleep deprived, according to a study by the Sleep Health Foundation. Between 33 and 45 per cent of Australian adults reportedly sleep poorly or not long enough, and these statistics are only getting worse.
What causes us to lose sleep?
There are a number of reasons why people become deprived of sleep. You may be someone who slept well your whole life and then are suddenly hit with a sleep problem. Common causes include:
• Shiftwork
• Forcing yourself awake with TV or smart phones
• Drinking coffee or smoking close to bedtime
• Certain medications
• A noisy, hot or cold sleep environment
• Being a parent with young children
• Sleep apnoea
• Illnesses that cause gagging or snoring and, consequently, wake you up
How much sleep do we need?
Children and teenagers need approximately nine to ten hours, while adults need between seven and nine. Although eight is the figure typically recommended, every individual is different so let your own body guide you. If you don’t feel very alert during the day, you probably need more. Read more about ideal sleeping hours here.
The impact of sleep deprivation
A lack of sleep has been linked with many problems, ranging from the minor to the very serious. These include:
• Fatigue (of course)
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Poor memory
• Short attention span
• Reduced concentration
• Blurred vision
• Weight gain
• Increased stress
• Diabetes
• Mood disorders
• Cardiovascular disease
Fatigue and inattention caused by sleep deprivation have also been linked to mistakes at work and car accidents, so it’s a problem we shouldn’t trivialise.
How to solve your sleep problem
The very first step towards healthy sleeping and a more alert and energetic life is to develop good sleep hygiene. You need to practice this over a period of time because it’s not enough to have just one or two nights where you get a little more sleep. It doesn’t make up for the many months or years of sleep deprivation, and you have probably built up what’s called a ‘sleep debt’ that isn’t easily erased.
How to develop good sleep hygiene:
- Go to bed when you start to feel sleepy. Try to make this at the same time each night.
- Get out of bed at the same time every morning (this is often easier to control than going to bed at the same time).
- Avoid caffeine at least four hours before bed. If you’re more sensitive to caffeine, do not have any after lunchtime. Or, if you can, try giving up caffeine for a week.
- Don’t smoke cigarettes before bedtime.
- Relax in the hour before bed and avoid certain stimulating activities. These include exercise, important discussions, TV, iPad and smart phones, computer games, and bright lights.
- Don’t try to sleep on a full stomach. Have your evening meal at least two hours beforehand.
- The bed should be mentally linked with sleeping and intimacy only, so don’t study or take phone calls in bed.
- Get out into natural light in the morning.
- Exercise is good for sleep, but not right before bed. Make sure you’re getting some physical activity earlier in the day or, at the latest, before dinner.
- There shouldn’t be any distractions in your bedroom. It should really be your sanctuary. Keep it fairly warm, comfortable and quiet. Use earplugs or a face mask, if necessary.
- If you can’t sleep, get out of bed and do something else such as reading. Go back to bed when you start to feel sleepy.
What next? How Kinesiology can help
If you’ve been practising good sleep hygiene for a month or so and you still can’t get decent shut-eye, it might be time to visit a healthcare professional.
Complementary therapies are unsung heroes when it comes to treating lifestyle-related sleep problems – especially Kinesiology. The whole-body holistic approach works by balancing the structures and pathways in the brain that participate in making our body sleep.
What happens is, when it gets dark, we produce melatonin; when it gets light, we stop producing it. Kinesiology stabilises these processes so the brain is more likely to gradually develop the correct rhythms for you. If you’re hormonally in a better state, you’re more likely to get a good night’s sleep.
If you suspect you have sleep apnoea, we encourage you to see a medical professional who specialises in sleep disorders.
For more information or to book with an experienced Kinesiology practitioner, visit www.oneillcollege.com.au or call (08) 9330 7443.
