This is a bit of a long read, so for those of you that want all the details, read on, and for those of you who just the thumbnail summary, here you go:
- Sleep deprivation is “the condition that occurs if you don’t get enough sleep.” This is also sometimes called “sleep debt” or “sleep deficiency.”
- Sleep is very important for a variety of health related concerns. It's associated with problems including fatigue, headaches, reduced productivity, mood issues, weight gain, brain fog and fatigue increased susceptibility to accidents or injuries loss of productivity at work irritability and moodiness relationship problems even a greater risk of death due to problems affecting your heart and immune system and higher risk for many chronic diseases.
- How much sleep you need varies
- Some of the common causes of sleep deprivation are high amounts of stress, having a condition that causes wakefulness or pain, hormonal changes, pregnancy, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet.
- Natural ways to prevent or treat sleep deprivation include
- managing your schedule and stress load
- adjusting your diet and stimulant intake
- exercising, spending more time outside
- creating a “nighttime routine” to help you wind down.
In a world where stress levels are rising, exposure to natural sunlight outdoors is diminishing and technology is leading to constant demands for everybody’s attention, it’s no surprise that so many people struggle to get enough sleep and suffer from sleep deprivation.
The broad definition of sleep deprivation is “a condition that occurs if you don’t get enough sleep.” The amount of sleep that qualifies as “enough” differs depending on whom you ask, but it usually falls between about seven to nine hours per night for adults (and even more for children and teens).
However, everyone is a bit different in terms of the ideal amount of sleep.
According to recent research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly a third of Americans report not getting the proper amount of sleep regularly.
In addition, many more than this struggle with occasional sleep-related disorders or problems, including sleep apnea, anxiety or nighttime pain that interferes with their overall quality of life.
Those who regularly get less than the recommended amount of sleep, you’re at a higher risk for many different health problems. This includes health problems that are mentally and physically harmful. These can include: brain fog and fatigue increased susceptibility to accidents or injuries loss of productivity at work irritability and moodiness relationship problems even a greater risk of death due to problems affecting your heart and immune system
How Much Sleep Do People Need?
Getting enough sleep is a vital, dynamic part of a healthy lifestyle. The body needs adequate rest each night for a variety of reasons, including: fighting illnesses, strengthening the immune system, repairing damaged tissues, digestion detoxification hormonal balance and maintaining cognitive health
So how much sleep do you need? It depends on several factors, including age, but here’s the general breakdown from the CDC:
Sleep deprivation and sleep deficiency have much in common, but they are actually considered to be two different conditions in the opinion of some experts and “sleep deficiency” is said to occur if you meet one or more of the following qualifications:
- You don’t get enough sleep.
- You sleep at the wrong time of day.
This may mean not being able to sleep at night but then taking naps during the day as a result of daytime fatigue. An abnormal sleep schedule is a sign that your body’s “natural clock” is not operating properly.
You don’t get the type of restorative sleep that your body needs. This includes deep rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM is the type you need to restore many bodily processes and keep your body in balance.
Various disorders can keep you from getting enough sleep, such as sleep apnea, insomnia, anxiety disorders or others. These can cause you to struggle to fall asleep or to periodically wake up throughout the night.
Here are some eye-opening sleep deprivation and sleep deficiency statistics:
Between 50 million to 70 million Americans are estimated to have some type of chronic sleep disorder. This is around one in every five or six people.
Approximately 10 percent to 30 percent of the general population struggles with insomnia.
Sleep deficiency has been found to be more common among adults between 40–59 than any other age group. Those between the ages of 20–39 are also likely to be suffering from a lack of sleep.
Sleep Deprivation Symptoms
Sleep deficiency can interfere with productivity at home, your relationships and work. Some of the most common negative effects of sleep deficiency include:
- Higher risk for chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, cancer and overall mortality.
- Trouble concentrating at work or school. This can include finding it harder to learn, focus, be creative, meet deadlines, remember information or take tests.
- Difficulty driving and sometimes being more prone to getting into accidents.
- Less motivation to be social, which can spill over to feeling more isolated and sad.
- Higher likelihood of being more sedentary (less physically active), which can contribute to weight gain.
- Increased appetite and higher risk for overeating, due to craving foods to help battle fatigue (especially processed, sugary or comfort foods).
- Poor moods, irritability and even increased risk for depression. People who lack sleep report feeling more “cranky,” overwhelmed, angry, frustrated and worried.
Long-term effects of sleep deprivation
Sleep not only causes changes in your brain, but can also impact your kidneys, lungs, heart and other vital organs. Some of the systems in the body negatively impacted by lack of sleep include the digestive, endocrine, central nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
Heart and lung function can be disrupted when you’re not getting good sleep, and tissues in your muscles or gastrointestinal tract may not be properly repaired.
Lack of sleep is associated with complications and worsened symptoms in people with respiratory problems, chronic lung and heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure.
Sleep deprivation can increase the hormone called ghrelin, which is associated with hunger and cravings. Of course, it also disrupts brain function, reduces attention span, lowers willpower and makes you susceptible to poor moods.
Research suggests that in people who are prone to mental or cognitive problems, such as due to a history of trauma or genetic factors, sleep deprivation may trigger or worsen symptoms. Possible explanations as to why this occurs include increased inflammation, hormonal imbalances and alterations in the chemical called adenosine, which builds up in the brain during wakeful hours (as a byproduct of using energy) and can cause hallucinations in abnormally high amounts.
Natural Treatments for Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation treatment depends on the underlying causes of the condition, along with how severe the individual’s symptoms are. For those diagnosed with a sleep disorder, treatments can include
- Manage Stress
There are lots of ways to deal with stress in your life, but only you can decide what’s realistic and actually effective. Some of the recommended approaches to decreasing stress that can keep you up include:
- Practicing meditation or prayer daily
- Reading calming books
- Spending more time outdoors in nature
- Exercising
- Joining a social, supportive group with people you enjoy being around
- Playing an instrument, making art or doing something else creative
- Using essential oils
- Doing yoga, deep breathing exercises or stretching
- Avoid Blue Light at Night
Rather than using your phone, computer, electronics or watching TV, do something calmer that doesn’t involve exposure to “blue light.” The bright screens on electronics can lead to alertness due to changes in your eyes and brain. It can also sometimes cause headaches. Try instead to read a fiction book or something that is inspiring or about spiritual growth.
- Increase Exposure to Natural Light During the Day
Just about every living organism has an internal 24-hour clock, a “circadian rhythm.” This helps regulate a balance between wakefulness hours versus those spent resting. In humans (and many other animals), exposure to natural light is a very important regulator of tens of thousands of brain cells that are responsible for forming the circadian rhythm.
The retina in the eyes transmits information about dark versus light to the brain, helping in the process. Levels of the hormone melatonin rise and fall depending on light exposure. They peak during the night when it’s dark (between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.) in order to help with sleep. Then they decrease at dawn and during waking hours when it’s light to keep us awake.
Because so much of your body requires a pattern of light versus dark exposure to work properly, it helps to spend more time in natural light when the seasons allow.
Some experts recommend sleeping with your curtains open in your bedroom to let light in when the sun rises. Also, try to get outside in the morning for at least 10–30 minutes (such as taking a walk). Any other time spent outdoors during the daytime can also help regulate your rhythm — plus it will increase your natural production of vitamin D.
At night, try doing the opposite. Make your room very dark, and reduce all artificial light exposure to sleep more soundly.
- Exercise
Daily exercise for at least 30–60 minutes, especially outdoors, is one of the best ways to promote better sleep. Being active daily in the morning or during the day can help regulate your circadian rhythm and lead you to feel calmer and sleepier at night. For some people, exercising at night close to bedtime can lead to increased alertness and trouble sleeping. Try experimenting to find what works best for you.
Rather than pushing yourself to adhere to a schedule that you dread (such as very early before work or school), choose an exercise time that is enjoyable and allows you to stay consistent.
- Adjust Your Diet
Foods that can aid in helping you to fall asleep include:
- Banana contains tryptophan that can increase production of melatonin
- Protein - this helps to keep your blood sugars stable which helps to reduce cortisol levels
To help keep you from feeling “wired” close to bedtime, try not to eat foods high in simple carbohydrates or sugar after dinner. If you need a snack after dinner, make one with foods that will help stabilize your blood sugar rather than spike it.
Examples include complex carbs, like nuts, seeds, veggies or a source of protein, like some frozen unsweetened yogurt.
Also be sure to skip any caffeine after 2 p.m. or 3 p.m., as sources like coffee can have lingering effects for hours.
- Create a “Bedtime Routine” and Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Your body craves a schedule and predictable routine. Ideally you will go to bed at roughly the same time every night and wake up close to the same time in the morning. Try to keep your bedroom very dark and also a bit colder than the rest of your house. (A temperature between 60–67 degrees Fahrenheit is thought to be ideal, according to the Sleep Foundation.) A cooler room can decrease your core body temperature, in turn initiating sleepiness. Some people find that writing down their thoughts, worries or “grateful moments” of the day in a journal helps them feel calmer. Others like to sip some relaxing tea, use essential oils that are calming, read something inspirational, stretch or take a warm shower.
- Supplements that can help improve sleep
- Magnesium
- I’m a fan of both Magnesium Bisglycinate or a combination called Magnesium Sleep Matrix that is a combination of Magnesium, GABA and Melatonin)
- Ashwagandha
- This adaptogenic herb helps to calm an overactive nervous system and the product I really like and use regularly is called Ashwagandha Matrix, which also includes a bit of L-theanine helps to calm a busy brain
- Progesterone or ChasteTree
- For women in perimenopause or menopause, the lack of progesterone can impair healthy sleep so supporting with bio-identical progesterone is useful as is ChasteTree/Vitex-agnus castus (ChasteTree SAP)
And in summary:
Sleep deprivation is “the condition that occurs if you don’t get enough sleep.” This is also sometimes called “sleep debt” or “sleep deficiency.” It’s associated with problems including fatigue, headaches, reduced productivity, mood issues, weight gain and higher risk for many chronic diseases.
Some of the common causes of sleep deprivation are high amounts of stress, having a condition that causes wakefulness or pain, hormonal changes, pregnancy, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet.
Natural ways to prevent or treat sleep deprivation include managing your schedule and stress load, adjusting your diet and stimulant intake, exercising, spending more time outside, and creating a “nighttime routine” to help you wind down.