A lot of people have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep every night, so if you are having difficulty with getting enough rest, you aren’t alone. In fact, sleepless nights have become extremely common. One-third of the adults in the United States aren’t getting enough shuteye. On top of that, 80% of individuals experience trouble sleeping at least once a week. As a result, the CDC has chosen to declare sleep deprivation a public health crisis. Keep reading to learn more about this problem, and what you can do to tackle it.
The Impact Goes Beyond the Individual Level
If you thought that sleep deprivation only affected people on an individual level, think again. According to WCTV, all of the sleep troubles that people experience results in a loss of $400 billion every year. Also, more than a million days of work are lost each year as well.
The Health Problems That Can Arise from Sleep Deprivation
Failing to get enough sleep can impact your health in ways that you may not have thought about much. For example, when you aren’t sleeping well, your risk of gaining excess weight increases, and your ability to shed that extra weight decreases.
On a day-to-day basis, your ability to focus declines, which can adversely impact your ability to get things done at home and at work. Your mood could suffer as well when you aren’t getting enough rest, and you might find yourself making unhealthy eating choices that also adversely affect your overall health.
Beyond all of that, though, what is really scary is the fact that a lack of sleep can increase your odds of developing diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Yikes!
What Can You Do If You’re Suffering from Sleep Deprivation?
One of the first things that you can do to tackle sleep problems is use a sleep tracking app like SleepScore. These apps can help you figure out how much sleep you are getting, and how much sleep you should aim to get each night.
Try your best to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time in the morning. Do this even when you don’t have to get up for work. Before bed, aim to relax your body and mind by turning off electronic devices, which emit blue light that can suppress melatonin and cause you to have difficulty falling asleep.
If you have tried new strategies to get more sleep but nothing is working, consider talking to your doctor. He or she can help you figure out what the cause of your sleep problems is, as well as what you can do to get back on track.
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