Sleep Deprivation - What Are The Consequences? by Wendy Owen

Sleep is probably best described as the loss of awareness of what is happening around us. The brain itself never sleeps and still continues to function, although the brainwave rhythms are altered and gradually slow as we approach the deeper stages of sleep.

Sleep deprivation exists when we are not getting the sleep we need. This varies from person to person, the average adult requires six to nine hours per night, but some do well on much less. Kids and teenagers require more sleep than adults.

If we feel energetic during the day and do not experience daytime sleepiness, then we are probably receiving adequate sleep.

Public awareness of fitness and nutrition has grown over the past few years but unfortunately little is known about the very important subject of sleep disorders. They are not included in general medical training either so the lack of knowledge is perpetuated.

If drowsiness were the sole disadvantage of sleep deprivation, it would not be such a serious condition. Unfortunately the consequences are many and some of them quite worrying. There are both behavioral and physical symptoms.

Why do we suffer with sleep deprivation? Sometimes its because we're so busy that we just don't have sufficient time to get the rest we need. Or maybe its because we have insomnia or one of the other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. Or we may be a shift worker who is forced to sleep during the day and our sleep is not restful. Whatever the reason is, if we don't have adequate sleep we create a "sleep debt" which leads to some or all of the symptoms shown below.

These range from the inconvenient to the downright dangerous so if you can see yourself in the symptoms below, its worth trying to establish what is causing your sleep deprivation we can then work out and how to address it.

Stress and anxiety

This can be a vicious cycle as while stress can actually cause our lack of sleep, it is also a result of it. Fortunately it can be dealt with using the right procedures. We'll look at the possibilities and find out what's causing it and the correct solution for you.

Anger, irritability and depression.

Go to Page 2

BIO:

Want to know how to have better sleep? Find out how. Check out http://www.insomnia-connection.com your resource for detailed information on sleep and curing stress. The author, Wendy Owen, has had a lifetime interest in general and alternative health as well as being an ex insomniac!

Some Aditional Articles you may enjoy

COPING WITH SNORING by OSORO P. J. NYAWANGAH

Herbal hair loss remedies for external use. by Richard Mitchell

The Interplay of the Five Elements in Our Lives by HealerGeorge

What's the Cure for the Blues? by Susan Dunn, MA, cEQc, The EQ Coach™

Motivation: Why do you want to do it anyway? by Darryn Aldridge

Click a Number to go to an article index page
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39