Why Am I So Tired?



Why am I so tired?

If you examine the way the human body works physiologically, it quickly becomes clear that sleep is the number 1 most important factor in our general wellbeing.

Sleep science is relatively new compared to other parts of medicine, however, what it has been able to establish is that sleep has an effect on all human systems from immune systems, depression, body fat and control of the risk factors for most diseases that kill or make our lives less pleasant to live.

Sleep is the time that the body and hormones undergo repair and recovery. Poor sleep patterns are linked to poor health - and those who sleep less than six hours a night have a shorter life expectancy than those who sleep for longer. If you’re like most of today’s busy people, you have no problems believing the research that has shown that compared to the turn of the century, we’ve managed to cram almost a month of additional work and commute time into each year. Meanwhile, we’ve sacrificed 2-2.5 hours of sleep out of every night in order to keep up with the increased demands of work, family duties, personal obligations, and social responsibilities or just watching television. That means that we are sleeping approximately 900-1000 hours less per year, that’s equivalent to 38 days less sleep! Imagine if the boss said to you, you have to work 26 weeks more per year, that’s how much that adds up to.

We are so tired that we have become chronically fatigued and for most people this feeling crappy most days is a feeling of normality, which is ridiculous, so we get used to being jaded.

This Fatigue that we experience can mean feeling tired, sleepy or lacking energy. The term fatigue can be used to describe a number of physical and mental states. For example, physical fatigue can arise from exertion, or heat. Mental fatigue can arise from periods of high mental activity. Too little or too much sleep is the primary concern when it comes to fatigue.

In a recent study in Australia over 50% of the study population admitted that they occasionally have fallen asleep at the wheel, fallen to sleep when sitting in the lounge chair after just a few moments of seated time, or find themselves partially drifting off when seated in a low stimulus situation.

So what can you do? You've finally reached your breaking point: night after night tossing and turning, mornings struggling to get out of bed, and a day fighting sleepiness and fatigue, you must now commit to trying to sleep better.

This can be a life-changing goal, and it can also be a little intimidating. Where to begin? what to do? Fortunately, there are specific changes you can make that will help you to sleep better.

 

Tips for better sleep:

Listen to white noise or relaxation CDs
Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the Insight audio CD.

 

Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars
This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep.

 

Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible
If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. There also should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the night. Please whatever you do, keep the light off when you go to the bathroom at night. As soon as you turn on that light you will for that night immediately cease all production of the important sleep aid melatonin.

 

No TV right before bed
Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even out of the house, completely. It is too stimulating to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep.

 

Wear socks to bed
Due to the fact that they have the poorest circulation, the feet often feel cold before the rest of the body. A study has shown that this reduces night wakings.

 

Read something spiritual or religious
This will help to relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, as this may have the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might wind up unintentionally reading for hours, instead of going to sleep.

 

Avoid using loud alarm clocks
It is very stressful on the body to be awoken suddenly. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, they should be unnecessary.

 

Journaling
If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed.

 

Get to bed as early as possible
Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver, which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health.   

 

Keep the temperature in the bedroom no higher than 21 degrees C  
Many people keep their homes and particularly the upstairs bedrooms too hot.

 

Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed
This can provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and serotonin.

 

Also eat a small piece of fruit
This can help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier.

 

Avoid caffeine
A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and therefore they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So an afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keep some people from falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine.

 

Alarm clocks and other electrical devices
If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from the bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet.

 

Avoid alcohol
Although alcohol will make people drowsy, the effect is short lived and people will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing.

 

Lose weight
Being overweight can increase the risk of sleep apnea, which will prevent a restful nights sleep.

 

Avoid foods that you may be sensitive to
This is particularly true for dairy and wheat products, as they may have effect on sleep, such as causing apnea, excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, and gas, among others.

 

Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed
This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom or at least minimise the frequency.

 

Take a hot bath or shower before bed
When body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating sleep.

 

Remove the clock from view
It will only add to your worry when constantly staring at it... 2am... 3am... 4:30am.

 

Keep your bed for sleeping
If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and to think of the bed as a place to sleep.

 

Don't change your bedtime
You should go to bed, and wake up, at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.

 

Exercise regularly
Exercising for at least 30 minutes everyday can help you fall asleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake.

 

Establish a bedtime routine
This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the day's tensions.

 

Go to the bathroom right before bed
This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.

 

Wear an eye mask to block out light
As said above, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can help to block out the remaining light.

 

Put your work away at least one hour (but preferably two or more) before bed
This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.

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