Weight Struggles
In addition to releasing more insulin and being at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, both of which correlate positively with a higher than desired body weight, sleep deprivation causes people to eat more than they need. The body is trying to get the energy that it didn’t get while asleep. However, it has to store these extra calories somewhere and this often makes losing weight much more difficult for people who are sleep deprived.
On top of these issues, people who are sleep deprived are more likely to make poor food choices. Their brains are tired, their impulse control is down, and so they are more likely to eat junk food than their well-rested friends.
Causes of Sleep Deprivation
At its most basic, sleep deprivation is caused by not getting enough sleep. Sometimes, we simply choose not to get enough sleep or to do other things rather than sleep. However, there are also conditions that can cause sleep deprivation, or at least make sleep more difficult. These include:
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- Sleep apnea
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- Restless Legs Syndrome
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- Insomnia
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- Narcolepsy
- Primary hypersomnia
If you have one of these conditions, talk to your doctor about how to get more sleep. If you consistently have trouble sleeping or you feel like you sleep enough but you’re still tired, it may be worthwhile to get tested to see if you’re struggling with one of these.
Sleep deprivation can also be caused by poor sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene looks at the behavioral and environmental conditions under which you try to sleep. Some situations are better than others. Good sleep hygiene involves:
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- Turning off screens at least an hour before bedtime.
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- Making your bedroom as dark as possible.
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- Making sure you have a comfortable, supportive mattress and pillow.
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- Not napping too much during the day.
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- Setting yourself up for good sleep with a relaxing bedtime routine.
- Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.
If you struggle with sleep, you may try implementing some of these strategies and see if your rest improves.
Treatment of Sleep Deprivation
Improving your sleep hygiene, as outlined above, can help you sleep better. However, if you have a sleep disorder or one of the conditions mentioned above, you may need to find an effective treatment for that, too, before you can sleep well.
If you simply need to make more time for sleep, treatment involves moving the pieces of your schedule around until there’s adequate time for sleep. You may have to eliminate some things or learn to use your time differently.
There are medications that can help you sleep, but these tend to have significant side effects. If nothing else works, it’s definitely worth talking to your doctor about the pros and cons of these medications for your particular situation. If medicine is the only way to sleep better, you may need to consider taking it for a while.
Sleep deprivation is a major problem, but it is very treatable. We need to become a culture that values rest as much as we value work and efficiency. As more and more of us come to prioritize sleep in our own lives, this will slowly change. Be part of the revolution! Get more sleep today!
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This piece originally appeared on sleephelp.org, published with permission.
