What's you sleep status?

Sleep serves an extremely important function in our lives, and in terms of necessity it’s right up there with breathing and hydration. Some people don’t need much sleep and can get by on three or four hours a night. Others need much more and are infinitely cranky on anything less than 10 hours. The much touted ideal is 8 hours of sleep per night, but as we all know, it can be rather difficult to achieve, at least with any consistency.

Many people simply live with being tired all of the time, they accept it as the natural state of things and don’t do anything about it. Sleep deprivation is in fact classified as a sleep disorder and can result in long-term damage to your overall health. The US Centre for Disease Control defines sleep deprivation as getting less than 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night for several nights in a row. Using that definition I would say that the majority of people on this planet suffer from sleep deprivation.

Insomnia is the most common form of sleep deprivation. It can be divided into two categories: primary and secondary insomnia.

Primary insomnia is defined as poor quality or lack of sleep and includes difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night, difficulty getting back to sleep once you’ve woken up, waking up too early, and excessive fatigue immediately upon waking.
Secondary insomnia is caused by an underlying biological or psychological disorder and includes difficulty falling and staying asleep, as well as fatigue on waking.

We’re probably all familiar with the scratchy, burning eyes and irritability that accompanies lack of sleep. Our concentration goes out of the window, along with our co-ordination. Many people think twice about driving while under the influence of alcohol, which produces similar side-effects, but will readily climb into their cars and drive off with several nights of broken sleep behind them. The Centre for Disease Control has statistical evidence that proves the link between sleep deprivation and car accidents. It’s one thing to risk your life while you’re tired and not thinking properly, but it’s another thing entirely to risk the lives of others.

Other conditions that can be brought on or worsened by lack of sleep include heart disease, breathing disorders and a variety of mental illnesses, especially anxiety and depression.

What can you do if you suffer from sleep deprivation? The first thing would be to visit your doctor. Your doctor will be able to form a rough diagnosis and if necessary refer you to a sleep specialist. Sometimes it can be cured with a round of prescription sleeping pills; sometimes the herbal equivalent is just as effective. Sometimes it can be as simple as cutting caffeine from your diet, or joining a yoga class. Some people swear by homeopathy or acupuncture.

You may need to try all of these methods and more before you find something that works for you. The important thing is to not give up. Easy to say when you’re not two steps away from doing something nasty to your neighbour’s dog who keeps you up all night with its incessant barking. But if you work closely with trusted medical professionals, you will eventually see some light at the end of the dark, sleepless tunnel.

Recommended sites:

http://insomnia.about.com/od/symptomsofinsomnia/p/sleep_depriv.htm

http://insomnia.about.com/od/insomniaglossary/g/Sec_Insom.htm

http://insomnia.about.com/od/insomniaglossary/g/Insomnia.htm

http://insomnia.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=insomnia&cdn=health&tm=7&f=20&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=11&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000701-d000800/d000705/d000705.html

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers MediClinic modern, private medical service provider a modern private medical centre offering a range of services from health screens to psychiatric services to cosmetic procedures.