The CDC sites that roughly 30% of Americans are sleeping fewer than six hours every night. Nearly one-third of Americans are zombified due to lack of sleep. I have often wondered why people are consistently not getting enough sleep. We know that we are sleep deprived, but do we know why? If we knew why, could we correct it? I personally struggle with getting enough sleep every night. It is as though my brain simply doesn’t want to shut off. I am constantly thinking, worrying, planning and doing, so much so, that some nights I feel as though I haven’t slept at all. When I do manage to lightly doze into blissful slumber, it’s already time to get up and start the day. My overactive brain gives me no rest! Sleep deprivation has many causes, but
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Stress causes insomnia, and insomnia causes stress. It’s a vicious cycle. Seven out of ten adults in the United States report stress and/or anxiety daily. When I am stressed or anxious, I find it much harder to relax. The last thing I want to do, if I want to avoid a sleep deprived life, would be to cuddle up with my stress and anxiety every night. Doing so only creates more sleep issues, and will increase your stress level from lack of sleep. I use my bedroom for relaxation and sleep only. I do not do homework, use my room as an office, pay bills or any other activity that could potentially bring me stress or anxiety in my bedroom. This triggers my brain to associate my room with relaxation and sleep, and promotes rest. When I lock anxiety and stress out of my bedroom, I sleep much better. The list of causes of sleep deprivation is three miles long. It seems as though it is an unavoidable force in today’s culture. We are pressed for time, we have no energy and healthy sleep habits have fallen by the wayside. William Blake said, “Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.” For everything in life, there is a proper order. If I am diligent about maintaining proper order, a healthy sleep pattern will follow. There are countless reasons why we don’t sleep the way we should, but more often than not, those causes are avoided by making good
Stress causes insomnia, and insomnia causes stress. It’s a vicious cycle. Seven out of ten adults in the United States report stress and/or anxiety daily. When I am stressed or anxious, I find it much harder to relax. The last thing I want to do, if I want to avoid a sleep deprived life, would be to cuddle up with my stress and anxiety every night. Doing so only creates more sleep issues, and will increase your stress level from lack of sleep. I use my bedroom for relaxation and sleep only. I do not do homework, use my room as an office, pay bills or any other activity that could potentially bring me stress or anxiety in my bedroom. This triggers my brain to associate my room with relaxation and sleep, and promotes rest. When I lock anxiety and stress out of my bedroom, I sleep much better. The list of causes of sleep deprivation is three miles long. It seems as though it is an unavoidable force in today’s culture. We are pressed for time, we have no energy and healthy sleep habits have fallen by the wayside. William Blake said, “Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.” For everything in life, there is a proper order. If I am diligent about maintaining proper order, a healthy sleep pattern will follow. There are countless reasons why we don’t sleep the way we should, but more often than not, those causes are avoided by making good