Sleep Support

How lack of sleep can hamper your health?

A sound siesta is as important as a balanced diet for holistic health of your body and mind. And scientific evidence backs the impact lack of good sleep has on your overall health and wellbeing.

• Memory Loss - Brain is the organ that is directly affected by lack of sleep. Evidence suggests that people who sleep less have weaker memory as the brain frequently undergoes an event called ‘sharp wave ripples’, which helps collect memory of things that happen to us. The ripples mostly occur when we are asleep, hence sleep directly impacts our memory retention.
• Depression - Suffering from sleeplessness for a long time can cause disorders like depression and anxiety. People who suffer from depression sleep 6 hours or less in a day, lacking in both sleep quality and quantity. Insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders is closely connected to depression.
• Weight Gain - Lack of sleep leads to increased appetite and frequent hunger pangs. Also, when you are feeling stressed due to a lack of sleep you resort to stress eating, binging on high-fat and high carb, sugary diets which may lead to obesity. Unhealthy weight gain can lead to other lifestyle diseases such as cardio-vascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
• Cortisol related Medical Issues - Cortisol is a hormone that controls blood sugar, metabolism, memory formation, inflammation etc., but excess release of this hormone is not good for our body. Sleeplessness increases the release of cortisol and can cause problems like osteoporosis and muscle weakness.
• Brain Development in Children - Lack of sleep affects children as well. We know that early brain development in children is very important part of their growth. A majority of brain development in infants and toddlers happens when they are in deep sleep. Lack of long and sound sleep may restrict or delay the development of primary brain functions.
• Risk of Diabetes - Research has proven that sleep deprivation affects the way our body processes glucose. Cutting back on sleep may lead to more unprocessed sugar in our body and pose the risk of contracting type-2 diabetes.
• Heart Disease & High Blood Pressure - People suffering from hypertension may be susceptible to heart diseases and high blood pressure. Lack of sleep increases hypertension, in turn, increasing the risk of contracting cardio-vascular disorders. Just a single sleepless night can spike your blood pressure levels throughout the next day.

Health conditions that affect sleep

Underlying health problems can also impact your sleep, affecting its quality and quantity. Research indicates that several lifestyle and age-related diseases can affect the soundness of your sleep.

Sleep Apnea

A sleep disorder that causes other sleep disorders, Sleep Apnea is when your breathing starts and stops repeatedly. This may lead to snoring and unsatisfied nights' sleep.

Asthma

People with asthma may face shortness of breath, cough, wheezing and tightness in chest during the night. This will either keep them up all night or deny a sound deep sleep.

Diabetes

Diabetic patients who have unstable blood sugar levels often stay awake due to the symptoms. Other associated symptoms like diabetic foot discomfort, excessive urge to urinate, increased thirst, tiredness, etc. may also obstruct their sleeping pattern.

Heart Diseases

Heart diseases can keep you from having deep sleep due to chest discomfort, stress & anxiety. Also, a weakened heart may not pump blood as efficiently and fluid may build up in lungs while laying on bed making it difficult to breathe and fall asleep.

Cancer

Symptoms that accompany cancer, like inflammation, tiredness, hot flashes, and pain disrupt night sleep. Also, day time fatigue may cause sleepiness during the day and keep people up at night. Some cancer medications and treatments may also contribute to insomnia.

GERD

Gastroesophageal Reflex Disease and other gastrointestinal disorders tend to cause symptoms that affect sleep. The night-time discomfort and acid reflux may cause insomnia, sleep apnea, and daytime sleepiness.

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is directly related to REM sleep disorder. The common symptoms of this disease, like tremors and stiff muscles may make it unbearable for the patient to lay down and fall asleep.

Dementia

All forms of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease can cause unrest and sleepless nights. This is known as the ‘sundown syndrome’. Affected persons may feel restless, panic, anxiety or aggressiveness and fail to sleep soundly.

Mental Illness

Most of the times a troubled mind is the reason behind lack of sleep. Especially people who suffer from mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, or OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) are most likely to have trouble sleeping.

Chronic pains

Chronic pains associated with conditions like arthritis, gout, herniated disc, sciatic pain, migraine, or cancer can make bedtime uncomfortable. These excruciating pains do not wear off easily and may keep you sleep deprived for a number of days.

Best natural ways to improve sleep routine

For acute conditions like insomnia you may have to consult a doctor. But before doing that, you can try taking help from a health coach for sleep support or try these natural ways for improving your sleep quality and quantity. Because it's always better to avoid sleep medications, as they come with their own set of repercussions.

• Get Active - Get up, get moving! Do some physical exercises if you have a job that makes you stick to the chair. Being physically active during the day will make you feel tired and help falling asleep at night.
• Make a Routine - Make a sleep routine and stick to it. Wake up early in the morning and exercise. Do not sleep during the day no matter how tempting it looks. Sleeping during the day give rest to your body making it active during the night. Rising up early and sleeping only at night will give a long break from sleep making it easier to doze off at bed-time.
• No Gadgets on Bed - Make sure you do not pick up your mobile phone or laptop or switch on television when you go to bed. These gadgets will keep you engaged past sleep time, making it difficult to sleep later.
• No Caffeine - Caffeine makes you alert and sways away sleep. Limit the consumption of beverages with caffeine, such as tea, coffee, or aerated drinks after lunch.
• Change Diet - Avoid eating heavy or spicy food for dinner. Keep it as light as possible so that it is easy to digest before you sleep. Have dinner at least 2-3 hours before bed-time. Sleeping on heavy stomach may cause bloating, indigestion, acid reflux or heart-burn causing discomfort and trouble napping.
• Room Settings - Good ambience is essential for a comfortable sleep. Create warm environment with dim lights, use lavender or other essential oils for aroma and play soothing music. Also keep the temperature moderate- not too high, not too low. You do not want to wake up from sweet sleep to change the temperature.
• Comfortable Bed - Bed comfort can also improve your sleep whereas uncomfortable pillows, mattress, comforters, and sheets could cause sleep disruptions. So, make sure your bed is comfortable to ensure good natural sleep.

Coaching for Sleep Support

Most people shy away from sleep therapy because they either think it can be figured out on their own or believe it to be a personal issue. This may often lead to medication which is not the long-term and holistic answer.

It’s always better to ask for help. Most sleep problems are caused by thoughts, behavior, and lifestyle choices. If you are feeling sleep deprived, consult with your doctor first and take recommended tests to rule out underlying medical issues. If there are no obvious medical issues behind your sleeping woes, then consider reaching out to a health and wellness coach who provides sleep coaching for adults.

A coach gets to know you before creating a custom sleep strategy that addresses your specific challenges and motivates you towards a healthier sleeping pattern. Coaching for sleep support allows you to,

• Identify the core reasons why you are having sleepless nights
• Understand the importance of proper sleep and its relationship with vibrant health and personal wellbeing
• Get empowered through tools and resources that enable proper sleep and reduce dependence on sleep medication
• Understand the relationship between poor sleep and lifestyle problems like anxiety, stress, depression, poor nutrition, and work-life balance
• Stay motivated and get support in harnessing healthy sleep hygiene and habits for life