It is believed that on an average each one of spend around 36 percent of our lives sleeping. It is incredible when you think about how every organism on this planet transitions from active and vibrant states during the day to an almost death-like passive state during the night. Every being needs repair and restoration of their physical and mental self which is taken care of during our sleeping states.
If you came here looking for ways to help you sleep better then you are at the right place. This article intends to take you through everything that you need to know about sleeping right. This guide talks about the different sleep disorders, symptoms and practical tips that will help you enjoy quality sleep. But before dive into the tips and solutions let’s take a look at the what sleep disorder is.
What is a sleep disorder? Common types of sleep disorders - symptoms and reasons
In simple terms sleep disorder is a condition which prevents us from getting quality sleep. Almost every one of us have experienced sleeplessness and difficulties sleeping more than once in our lives. In most cases, it’s because of some external conditions such as some illness, stress, travel, or due to a change in daily routines. But when it is difficult to sleep well almost every day then it could be a sign of sleep disorder. It could lead to exhaustion and drowsiness throughout the day.
Types of common sleep disorders
The symptoms of stress are different or different women, and usually, they manifest in these forms:
1. Insomnia – it occurs when you have trouble falling and staying asleep. If you occasionally have disturbed sleep it does not mean that you have insomnia. Continuous sleeping problems accompanied by daytime fatigue every day can be a sign of insomnia. It is mostly common among people who suffer from physical and mental stress.
2. Hypersomnia – It features a group of sleep disorders that is related to excessive sleeping. People who have hypersomnia have the tendency to fall asleep anywhere at any time.
- Narcolepsy – in this form of hypersomnia the person tends to have a lifelong sleeping disorder. A person with narcolepsy experiences sudden need to sleep multiple times. This could be dangerous.
- Kleine- Levin Syndrome – In this form of hypersomnia the person goes through a series of sleeping patterns and durations. The durations can go from 2 days to a week. It can happen multiple times during a year.
3. Sleep Movement Disorder – Leg cramps during sleeping, restless legs syndrome, sleep rhythm movement and periodic limb movement lead to this disorder
4. Circadian Rhythm – this condition arises when there is a periodic disruption of our body’s natural circadian rhythm. This is seen is individuals who work in shifts and in travellers who experience jet lag.
5. Parasomnia – Sleep walking is an example of Parasomnia. The person would go through events and experiences while sleeping (mostly in a state between sleep and wakefulness). But once the person becomes fully awake he/she will not have any memory of the event or their actions.
Do you have sleep disorder? Symptoms to look for:
- Feeling sleepy and irritable during the day
- Difficulty staying awake during the day even while performing important activities
- Feeling tired and exhausted after performing a simple task
- Finding it difficult to focus
- Often being told by others about seeming fatigued and tired
- Slow reaction time
- Uncontrollable emotions and constant mood swings
- Always feeling the need to sleep
- Frequent urge to consume caffeinated beverages
Do I have to pay attention to sleep troubles and why?
Yes you need to pay attention to your sleeping troubles. Before we go into the why let’s take a look at the purpose of sleep:
- As mentioned before, the first and foremost function is repair and restoration. Throughout the day our brains gather metabolic wastes produced through neural activities. This is a normal phenomenon. And when we sleep the waste is discarded. Too much accumulation of these waste products can lead to neurological disorders.
- The next one is memory consolidation. This process is important because it strengthens and maintains our long-term memories. Insufficient or broken sleep can mess up your memory bank leading to psychological problems.
- Enhances fat metabolism. When we are awake can move about with our daily activities our bodies use carbohydrates and proteins to produce energy. This causes more storage of fat and loss of muscles. Insufficient sleep therefore also increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
All of this to say, that one needs quality sleep for our physical and mental well-being.
What is the price you pay for sleep deprivation?
The funny thing is that we sacrifice our sleep for our work, career or family. But little do we know that sleep deprivation leads to a lull in our performance and in the quality of our lives. Poor sleep leads to many health problems. The short term effects are fatigue, irritability, increased stress, anxiety and poor focus. Long term effects include lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, immune deficiencies, cardiovascular disease and many more.
Hyper-active lifestyles, over-stimulation of our senses, too much in-take of content, heavy work, relationship troubles and financial issues are some of the common factors that seem to deprive people of sound sleep in today’s world. And we wonder why none of us are able to enjoy a goodnight’s sleep like our previous generations!
Diagnosis
If you feel like you have been experiencing sleep disorder symptoms for a significant amount of time, we suggest that you get in touch with your doctor or a sleep specialist. Doctors use different kinds of information to analyse your sleep problems. This could include – detailed study of your lifestyle and medications, a sleep study, a physical exam and other tests.
How to help ourselves?
We can help ourselves by making a few lifestyle changes and habits which is discussed in detail below:
Better Habits for Better Sleep
- Reduce the use of electronics – Begin by cutting down screen time. Blue light from mobile, television and phone screens affects the production of melatonin. Melatonin is what puts you to sleep. When your body doesn’t produce the right amount of this hormone you cannot enter the sleep phase. Make it a habit to stop using electronics at least an hour before you go to bed.
- A calming ritual before bedtime – Doctors and specialists believe that most cases of insomnia are due to excessive emotional and physical stress. Develop bedtime practices that help you reduce stress. You can choose from a variety of relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, daily journaling, prayer or maintaining a gratitude journal. Having an outlet to release stress is sure to improve the quality of your sleep.
- Spend time outside – We are a part of nature. It has immense healing power which can instantly refresh us. Breathing in fresh air and admiring the greenery helps relax your mind and body. Also make sure to get sun exposure for a minimum of 30 minutes every day.
- Maintain a dim lighting inside your home – Warm lighting gives off a cosy and comfortable vibe. Whereas the harsh white light makes your nervous system more active. Make sure to use warm lights inside your home so that you get to enjoy a zen sleep.
- Cut-down caffeine – If you have issues with falling asleep we would advise that you eliminate caffeine entirely. But for those of us who cannot go without a morning cup of their favourite beverage, then we would recommend not drinking coffee after noon. You can also switch coffee with a healthier drink like green tea.
- Stop smoking – Smoking cigarettes can cause several health issues and sleep disorder is one on the list. We know that it is difficult to quit altogether but you can begin by reducing the daily frequency.
- Use bedroom for sleep – your bedroom should be a space that promotes sleep. Maintain a dark, cosy, cool and quiet atmosphere inside your bedroom. Do not turn into a multi-purpose space. This means no television or laptop. Keep your room clutter free. You can also add in extra throw pillows to make is look comfier. A simple change in your bedroom décor can make falling asleep easier and distraction-free.
- Get sufficient amount of physical activity – Keeping yourself physically active during the day offers a long line of benefits. When your body gets enough exercise then it is easier for it to power down at night. Obesity is also shown to adversely affect our sleeping patterns. The need for physical activity increases as you age. The more fit you are the better you sleep. However, physical and mental stimulation should be avoided 2 -3 hours before bedtime.
- Keep you room cool – the temperature inside your room also has an influence on your sleep. Most of us sleep well in cool room with a temperature that ranges between 65 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Ear Plugs – This point doesn’t need a deep elaboration does it? If you live in the middle of a busy city then we would suggest that you use ear plugs.
- No alcohol before bed – there are individuals who down a peg before bedtime. And it also does a god job at helping you fall asleep instantly. But it reduces the quality of sleep and delays your REM cycle. This means you can wake up in between feeling exhausted. However, enjoying a glass of your favourite wine a couple of hours before you sleep won’t do you much harm.
Why CBD for Sleep disorders?
Канабидиолът (CBD) oil is gathering a lot of attention these days. It is being used to treat a number of ailments such as anxiety, menstrual pain and neurological disorders. It is available in different forms and doses. You can get them over-the-counter. Most people have the misconception that CBD makes you high. But the truth is that CBD is non-psychoactive meaning it does not alter your cognitive state in anyway.
Cannabis is a miracle herb and one wonders how it does what it does in the body. Let’s together explore how CBD helps us in getting a restorative sleep at night.
- CBD helps to reduce your neurological activity at night – Our minds have the tendency to replay our past memories and create thoughts of our future (referred to as anxiety). This becomes worse when you have had a difficult day for when you have an important or fearful event coming up the next day such as an exam, an interview or a stage performance. In these situations all your efforts to calm your mind might become futile. You can use a small dose of CBD in these situations to calm down a racing mind. These racing thoughts are created as a result of increased production of neurotransmitters such as glutamate. The electrical activities thus produced in the brain keeps us alert and awake at night. CBD slows down these electrical activities, makes us feel relaxed and gets deep quality sleep.
- Resets the circadian rhythm – the Circadian rhythm is our biological clock that regulates our wake and sleep cycles. It is aligned with the rotation of earth which causes us to wake up in the morning and sleep at night. Due to stress and too much travel this internal cycle can get disrupted. The use of CBD helps in restoring the balance in our circadian rhythm which prevents our mind and body from waking up too early.
CBD has gained popularity due to its ability to aid sleep. It is a natural relaxing and calming agent. This would explain why it is used for treating psychological imbalances. Best CBD oils contain in them several terpenes and active cannabinoids that support sleep. If you want to try CBD oil for treating sleep disorder you can have a look in our specially designed product –“The goodnight fairytale” CBD oil drops. Its formulation combines broad-spectrum CBD and two of the most proven sleep extracts – Chamomile and Ylang-Ylang.
Conclusion
Every adult needs a deep sleep of 7-8 hours each night to stay in the pink of health and to deliver optimum performance. Children, older adults or anybody with a health problem might need even more hours. If you don’t see any improvement in the quality of your sleep even after trying all the tips mentioned here make sure to meet a doctor.
