Sleep deprivation often referred to as nap insufficiency or sleeplessness, is the inability to get enough quality or quantity of sleep to maintain healthy levels of alertness, performance, and well-being.
According to a survey conducted by Harvard, 1 out of every 3 adults does not get an adequate amount of sleep.
Sleeping is a very important physical activity of and for the human body, provided it is done right. It has been classified into 2 categories, namely, REM and NREM.
NREM Sleep i.e., Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep: The eye movement is fast, and a person can be easily woken up. In the first 25 minutes, the heart rate slows down and the body temperature lowers as well. This is when the immunity gets better, muscle repair starts, and tissues re-grow.
REM Sleep is deep sleep. Since the brain is more active during REM sleep, one experiences vivid dreams. REM is crucial because it activates brain regions that aid in learning and is linked to an increase in the creation of proteins.
When sleep is missed out on, the body undergoes a lot of negative changes.
Low productivity at the workplace:
Owing to a night of light sleep, chances of staying distracted at work are very high. Concentration skills suffer, thus, leading to poor performance at work.
Less sleep increases the chances of burnout:
A well-rested will perform better tasks in a short span of time. A study conducted by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, with a lack of sleep issues related to learning, reacting, critical thinking, and control over emotions can crop up. The tendency to stay exhausted increases manifold.
- Weight gain: Not being able to sleep properly will make one hungrier than usual. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, obesity is linked to light sleep patterns. Sleep Deprivation increases risk of obesity.
- Higher chances of stress and anxiety: For those who are prone to mental disorders or are patients of any mental illness in the past, sleep is as important and effective as any medication.
- Adverse effect on the immune system: Your immune system produces cytokines, proteins that work together to help you fall asleep. When you have an infection or inflammation or are under stress, some cytokines need to rise. Lack of sleep may reduce the generation of these cytokines that are protective,
What can be done to improve sleep quality?
- Keep the phone aside- Ayurvedic experts suggest that exposure to phones be minimum before going off to sleep. a gap of 45-60 minutes is a must.
- Deep breathing- Simple practices like deep breathing and reading can improve the quality of sleep. This relaxes the mind and distracts it form the happenings of the day.
- Proper exercise during the day- By exercising properly once a day, digestion of food will get better and one will feel light before going to bed.
- Have dinner at least 3 hours before sleeping. Going to bed immediately after having dinner can increase the risk of acid reflux. Thus, it is advised to walk a few steps before dozing off.
- Maintain a journal- To take one’s mind off work, maintain a journal to jot down list of works to be done the next day.
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