Around 60% of adults aren’t getting enough sleep. If you want to improve your sleep then you need to make it a priority for you. We need between 7 and 9 hours sleep each night once we become adults. Teens and children will need more sleep. No one can function effectively on 6 hours or less.

There are multiple reasons for the lack of sleep or sleep problems to arise. Stress, financial pressures, overuse of technology, pain, parenting and pregnancy, work-related pressures, college or school pressures, disability, and mental health issues, the list goes on.

Effects Of Sleep Deprivation.

The effects of sleep deprivation on the mind and body are well researched and documented. They include higher risks in developing physical and mental health conditions. If it continues your body will enter what is called crisis mode. So it’s survival time as far as messages to the brain goes.

Blood pressure, heart rate, stress, anxiety and anger levels all increase. There is a greater risk of type 2 diabetes developing, plus endocrine and metabolic rate issues, etc.

Mid-afternoon slumps and dips will increase so you’ll crave caffeine. Your concentration level will decrease making you less productive, even though you’re probably trying to get stuff done and tried forgoing sleep as a result. You can create a vicious cycle here with more caffeine and less sleep.

Most people who are sleep deprived usually think that they can catch up on sleep at weekends, this won’t work. Trying to catch up on sleep deprivation isn’t advisable at all. It won’t reverse the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive functions. In fact, doing this can introduce further problems to your body clock very quickly.

1 Tip For Better Sleep: Reduce The Blue Light.

All electronics have a blue light that may not be noticeable to the naked eye but our eyes still pick it up. So that’s your TV, tablet, computer, phone, laptop, etc., anything with a screen.

Our brain is very susceptible to this blue light and it has been shown to stop the production of melatonin. Melatonin causes us to get sleepy and we need it to kick in at the right time in our wake/sleep cycle. If it doesn’t kick in then it causes issues with our sleep and the rest of circadian rhythms that help our brain and body to function correctly.

So to help that along we need to dim the lights and cut out the electronics. In particular during that wind down period before bedtime, that’s about an hour before you want to go asleep. If we don’t we are pushing our sleep cycle later and later and this as I said can have huge knock on problems for our mental and physical health.

So do yourself a favour and dim the main light after 6 pm in winter or once it starts to get close to your bedtime in summer months. Plus reduce the background light on your devices at that time also. Then turn them off completely an hour before you want to be asleep. For more tips on sleep please check out my blog and video on the topic.

Consider CBT If You Have Insomnia.

If you have tried all the tips I’ve mention on sleep before and think you may have insomnia then consider working with a therapist. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help with insomnia by helping you recognize and identify different factors that may contribute to insomnia. In addition, cognitive therapy can give you the proper information about sleep and help you set reasonable goals to help you improve your sleep quality.

My Book.

In my book, The Building Blocks Of Self-Care, I provide easy and quick strategies to get you back feeling rebalanced and more focus in your life. The book also includes all the worksheets you need to take you step by step through the process. You can purchase it on Amazon or through my website.