{"id":33219,"date":"2023-03-15T12:12:41","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T12:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/?p=33219"},"modified":"2023-03-15T12:42:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T12:42:55","slug":"what-is-keeping-you-awake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/what-is-keeping-you-awake\/","title":{"rendered":"What is keeping you awake?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sleep is essential for good health, and unfortunately, under the current stressful circumstances, many of us are struggling to get a good night\u2019s rest. Sleep deprivation can leave you feeling overtired, irritable and depressed, and this, in turn, can affect your body\u2019s immune system, making you more vulnerable to bugs and germs.<\/p>\n

The struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep is called insomnia, here are some tips for dealing with insomnia, to make sure you get the good quality sleep you need.<\/p>\n

What is \u201cSleep Debt\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most sleep experts agree that adults need approximately eight hours per night. Prolonged lack of sleep slowly but surely builds up to what we call \u201csleep debt\u201d, and your body will take \u201cpayment\u201d in the form of poor concentration, impaired functioning or fatigue.<\/p>\n

What keeps you awake at night? <\/strong><\/p>\n

You can probably relate to this: Your mind starts racing as soon as your head hits the pillow. You\u2019re thinking about your to-do list, that thing you should (or shouldn\u2019t) have or shouldn\u2019t have said, or running through \u2018what if\u2019 scenarios to try to find some solutions in uncertain times. Then you catch a glimpse of the clock, and realise how late it already is.<\/p>\n

At some point, it\u2019s hard to tell whether you\u2019re having trouble sleeping because you\u2019re anxious, or you\u2019re anxious because you can\u2019t sleep. The answer may be both. It\u2019s a two-way street: Stress and anxiety can cause sleeping problems, or worsen existing ones; and lack of sleep can also cause an anxiety disorder.<\/p>\n

Common sleep debt symptoms may also include:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Depression<\/li>\n
  • Brain fog<\/li>\n
  • Struggling to concentrate<\/li>\n
  • Not meeting work deadlines<\/li>\n
  • Impaired immune system<\/li>\n
  • Weight gain<\/li>\n
  • Low sex drive<\/li>\n
  • Relationship conflict<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Getting the Sleep You Need<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Here are some ways to prevent sleep loss and keep your \u201csleep debt\u201d from stacking up while you\u2019re stuck at home.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Stick to a regular sleep pattern. Go to sleep at the same time every night, and get up the same time as usual, even over weekends and public holidays.<\/li>\n
    • Take time to <\/strong>wind down. <\/strong>A healthy bedtime routine allows your body and mind time to slow down before lights out. Take at least half an hour to play quiet music, take a bath, or read a book.<\/li>\n
    • Steer clear of stressful activities before bed. <\/strong>Leave the bill paying for earlier in the day, stay away from heated social media exchanges, and skip the evening news.<\/li>\n
    • Put your to-dos on paper. <\/strong>Instead of letting your brain swirl with all the things that you don\u2019t want to forget to take care of, write them down so your brain can relax and let go.<\/li>\n
    • Keep your bedroom environment cool, dark and quiet. Your biological clock responds to these external signals, so make sure it\u2019s getting the message \u201cgo to sleep\u201d very clearly.<\/li>\n
    • Finish eating and drinking at least one to two hours<\/strong> before going to bed.<\/li>\n
    • Avoid or limit drinking alcohol and coffee in the evening. A good alternative is a caffeine-free herbal tea to help relax your body and mind.<\/li>\n
    • Keep the TV and any other electronic devices out of the bedroom<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    • Calm your mind and get rid of stress<\/strong> before going to bed. You can do this with meditation, gentle stretches or breathing exercises.<\/li>\n
    • Don\u2019t lie in bed awake. <\/strong>If you can\u2019t fall asleep for more than 20 minutes, give yourself a do-over. Get up, keeping the lights low, and do something relaxing (and ideally sleep-inducing). Have a glass of milk or cup of herbal rooibos tea and read a book. But avoid screens \u2013 the light that they emit can signal to your brain that it\u2019s time to wake up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      By giving your body and mind the proper rest, you can help to keep yourself physically and mentally healthy, which is good news for your immune system, your mood and your overall wellbeing.<\/p>\n

      Still not sleeping? If you think that you might have more serious sleep problems, clinical anxiety, or depression, talk to your doctor. A specialist can help you find a treatment plan, so you can manage your symptoms and get the sleep you need.<\/p>\n

      Don\u2019t lie awake worrying. If you need someone to talk to, reach out to a LifeAssist <\/strong>counsellor, any time day or night.<\/p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9819,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[287,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2023-mar-articles","category-focus-sleep"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33219\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourlifeassist.co.za\/sunint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}