Sleep Problems – Overview

Sleep may now be considered more of a luxury than a necessity. This is because half the number of adults suffers from sleep problems which consequently affect the mind and entire body.

However, sleep should not be viewed as just laying in bed until morning but a process that involves regulating the body to go through the sleep stages that are essential for our body.

The obligations that many people have can be overwhelming and the need for sleep seems to diminish. Nevertheless, sleeping for the recommended period rejuvenates the body so as to avoid having trouble concentrating, lower productivity and irritability.

Statistics on Insomnia

Sleeping problems can be acute or chronic where chronic sleep problems can persist for a month. A recent research revealed that between 30 to 40% of the adults in the study experience insomnia within a year while 10 to 15% had chronic insomnia.

Sleeping problems are prevalent in all age groups but in adults, women tend to experience more sleeping problems than men. It is also noted that people of lower socio-economic backgrounds are at a higher risk of insomnia.

How Much Sleep is Sufficient?

Though sleeping is beneficial, the recommended sleeping period that is sufficient primarily depends on the age of the person.

It may seem excessive, but infants should have at least 16 hours of sleep in a day. As these children become older, the sleep duration decreases and ranges from 10 to 14 hours.

By the time a person is well into adulthood, 7 to 8 hours is deemed to be a reasonable sleeping duration which would ensure that an individual does not experience daytime drowsiness.

The older adults may have shorter sleeping spans, but 7 to 8 hours of sleep is advised.

Other factors such as pregnancy could require an individual to have additional sleep hours due to the body and hormonal changes that occur.

Sleep Length and Your Activity Level

If you spend a lot of time in energized activities such as sports or any manual labor, you may need more sleep than someone who has been less active.

Understanding the sleep cycles can help you realize that it is a natural process, which like digestion, should take place naturally.

A chemical element known as adenosine accumulates in the brain during the day when the body is using up energy which causes us to feel sleepy. The more adenosine accumulated, the sleepier we feel, and it is coupled with the circadian clock that sends messages of sleepiness to the brain.

Different Ways to Avoid Sleep Problems

Being aware of the signs of sleeping problems is important to help in managing the problem…

Also known as insomnia, sleep problems may sometimes be a hereditary problem or as a result of a deeper psychological issue such as depression or emotional distress.

Environmental elements like an uncomfortable environment or the excessive use of caffeine or tobacco could also lead to insomnia.

A few basic ways to avoid sleep problems are; having a standard sleeping time every day, sleeping in a sleep inducing environment, avoiding caffeine and heavy meals before bed and engaging in relaxation techniques such as listening to soft music.

Many people feel as though they are constantly running on a treadmill with work and family responsibilities and therefore need to take a step back and enjoy the rejuvenation of sleep.