Causes of Sleep Deprivation:How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep Naturally

What are the causes of sleep deprivation , which over 25 percent of Americans suffer at least occasionally and how to get a good night’s sleep naturally without the help of any prescription medication or over-the-counter sleep-enhancing drugs, are the most commonly asked questions all over the world about sleep and insomnia. In the following paragraphs I am going to discuss the common causes of sleep disorder and suggest some of the techniques on how to get good sleep naturally that you have been seeking for, by helping your body and mind. The information given in this post have been gathered from articles by experts having ample knowledge of health and fitness.

Causes of sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation is a health condition of not having adequate sleep. The common causes of sleep deprivation broadly fall into the following four categories:

• Lifestyle;
• Biological reasons;
• Medication;
• Health conditions;

Lifestyle

Not having enough sleep during the night is often a direct outcome of the lifestyle we follow. If you are stressed and fatigued due to overwork you can not get the required hours of sleep. It may make matters worse if you have the habit of drinking alcohol or energy drinks having caffeine before going to bed which is one of the main causes of sleep deprivation. It is only when you can single out the lifestyle factor that is affecting your sleep, you can try for the necessary changes you need to make.

Biological reasons

Age and gender have an effect on sleep patterns and are also among the causes of sleep deprivation in a person. Older people are more prone to sleep disorders as compared to younger people. The chronic health issues like diabetes, hypertension etc. may affect the quality of sleep of elderly people. Menopause, pregnancy and hormonal changes can cause sleep disorders in women.

Medication

Medication is found to be one of the main causes of sleep deprivation . It causes restlessness, fatigue and tends to interfere with one’s sleep patterns. Medicines that are worst for causing sleep disorders are sedatives, stimulants and drugs taken for weight loss purpose. While one can take medicines to try to induce sleep, these sleeping aids eventually interfere with one's natural body patterns and can cause one to depend on them and to reduce tolerance to other drugs. These medications can give temporary relief but can not cure your insomnia.

Health conditions

There are several health issues, which either can be physical or mental, that can cause inadequate sleep. Among the physical issues diabetes, asthma and arthritis pain are the main causes of sleep deprivation. As regard mental health issues depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and worry are the major causes for bringing about the problem of sleep deprivation in a person.

Ill effects of sleeping disorder

By some reports, sleep problems affect one in four people around the world, at least once in a while and they are dying to know how to get good sleep naturally. Before I go to answer this query let me write a few words on the ill effects of sleep deficiency. For not having enough sleep at night you don’t merely feel bad, but tend to make more mistakes and run the risk of serious danger as well. A new study conducted by a medical society found that people getting less than 6/7 hours sleep at night were more likely to increase their risk of heart diseases than those getting more.

How to get a good night’s sleep naturally

Fortunately there are ways to get rid of sleeping disorder. Let me suggest below few easy to follow tips on how to get good sleep naturally without the help of any sleep-enhancing medicines, chemicals or any other aids. I strongly believe that if you follow these tips earnestly you will not only be able to sleep better at night giving you energy for all day long for peak performance but also help you to cure your sleeping problem gradually and permanently.

Tips on how to get a good night’s sleep naturally :

• Minimize Caffeine intake : While it is true that caffeine helps keep you awake and alert when you are trying to function, it unfortunately does the same when you are trying to sleep. It doesn’t just vanish from your system at bedtime. It takes hours for your body to metabolize it all. Therefore, consume as little caffeine as possible, and do it as early in the day as possible (you may refer to my other article Negative effects of caffeine on the body);
• Avoid turning to alcohol as a sleep aid: Many people with insomnia try to use alcohol to promote sleep which may work more as an "obstacle" than as a help to achieve your objective. Alcohol taken at bedtime may initially reduce the time required to fall asleep due its stimulating effect, the adverse effects of sleep deprivation like daytime fatigue and sleepiness are increased following alcohol consumption;
• Avoid excitation 2-3 hours before bedtime : Try to avoid intense exercise, worrisome works, arguments and other stressful interactions before trying to go to sleep. It takes time for the stress hormones to subside and allow your nerves to relax which is crucial for a better sleep at night;

• Go to bed at the same time : Try to make the habit of going to bed and waking up at fixed times which will have bearing on your quality of sleep;

• Take a relaxing, warm bath an hour or two before bed time : On scientific studies on sleeping problem it has been found that a warm bath raises body temperature, and the gradual cooling afterwards mimics the natural drop in temperature that triggers sleep. The older women in the study, all of whom were suffering from sleeping disorder, were able to sleep better at night following a warm bath, as opposed to one at body temperature;
• Do something that helps you to relax before bed time : Watch TV, listen to soft music or read your kids a bedtime story for half an hour or so that would help you unwind and in triggering sleepiness. Sometimes having snacks high in carbohydrates and low in protein about an hour before retiring may also help you to have better night sleep. Prescription or over-the-counter sleeping pills are usually not the best solution. These generally work, but they often leave a sort of hangover effect that keeps you dragging throughout the next day;
• Minimize sensory stimulation in the sleep area : Make your bed as comfortable as possible. Keep the bedroom dark and quiet and ensure that it is not too warm or too cold. If you have to get up in the middle of the night, use a dim night-light rather than bright light, because the brighter the light the more aroused you’ll become;
• Try not to worry yourself : Don’t think how desperate you feel about missing sleep or worry how tired you’ll feel in the morning. Try to avoid tossing and turning or try to force yourself to fall back asleep. All these will just excite you more and make it difficult to get back to sleep;
• Try to distract yourself : If it’s late and you’re wide awake, this may be a good time to watch a dull TV show or read the most boring book you can find. If you’re only half awake, stay quietly in bed in the dark and occupy your mind with some senseless mental game or activity such as trying to count backward from a thousand by seven or just count the proverbial sheep;

Conclusion

The above are the general yet incredibly effective tips on how to get a good night’s sleep naturally. Increasing public knowledge about the causes of sleep deprivation and its natural remedies can help people to prevent many possible health complications associated with sleep disorders. If you are having sleep disorder, minor changes in your lifestyle to pursue the easy to follow tips suggested in this post may be all you need to help to restore your normal sleep patterns.