Do you know the feeling of waking up without the feeling you slept at all? Like you should’ve been much more alert after sleeping that much, yet you didn’t sleep that good at all?
1 of every 3 people suffers from inadequate sleep and sleep deprivation of any kind according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
When your sleep is light, your body doesn’t get the chance to restore all of its functions. From the microscopic level of cell regeneration to the macro levels of organs and systems, your body just doesn’t have the opportunity to refresh itself.
One’s sleep is incredibly related to their emotional state. We all know the feeling of going to sleep exhausted from the passing day or excitement for tomorrow, or while feeling down, even depressed - it makes a difference. Therefore it’s no surprise that the quality of sleep varies between different people, through different nights.
The day after junk sleep is most commonly described as distracted. The levels of focus are insufficient, our eating habits experience changes, mood swings are more likely to appear, surely our creativity is damaged and our patience towards the people around us is very limited.
People who suffer from long-term junk sleep actually report feeling sick more often, having extreme changes in their appetite and weight, and of course - they feel very very tired.
To treat junk sleep and limit its negative outcome, there are few steps, most of them match the steps of treating many other sleep disorders:
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First - Acknowledgement.
Sleep is important and it should get appropriate attention in order to make it efficient. -
Second - Adjustments.
Adapting and adjusting the sleep environment to best fit the sleeper needs - curtains, air conditioning, air circulation, humidity, comfortness, soothing sheets, etc. -
Third - Sleep Hygiene.
Creating the routine that best fits the sleeper. Eating the right amount of food at the right timing (in relation to sleeping time), avoiding bright light exposure before going to bed, reducing phone usage before sleep, etc. -
Last - Persistence.
Keep going and maintain the habits you chose for your routine, to achieve your goals and benefit your healthy well-being over time.
