Are You Really Getting Enough Sleep?
How do you know you are getting enough sleep? Here is a quick quiz:1.Do you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning?2.Do you get drowsy while driving short distances or while waiting at a trafficlight?3.Do you run out of steam in the middle of the day?4.Are you irritable and agitated? (Ask your wife of girlfriend to answer this!)5.Are you a light sleeper and wake up easily at every noise?6.Are you unable to get persistent worries out of your mind?If you answered “yes” to even a couple of these questions, you are probably lackingsleep. If you’re still not sure, try sitting in a comfortable chair in a darkened room for fiveminutes. If you can’t do this without falling asleep, it’s a sign that you need more sleep.
Did You Know?
By sleeping less, you increase your chances of suffering from a heart attack, stroke,diabetes, weight gain and premature aging?
Broken Sleep
Middle-aged and elderly folk tend to spend less time in deeper sleep than younger people.The elderly generally secrete lesser amounts of certain chemicals that regulate thesleep/wake cycle. Both melatonin and growth hormone production decrease with age. For older people sleep becomes more shallow, fragmented and variable in duration. Theelderly wake up more frequently than younger adults.
Points to Ponder
As a nation we have become too dependent upon energy drinks and medications to keepus awake longer. We need to realize that when we cheat the body from getting the sleep itneeds, we may eventually suffer the consequences health wise. There are stages to our sleep cycle, with stages three and four being the most restful part of sleep. Dreams areimportant to restore the mind as well and are perfectly normal.Here is an easy
Action Step:
For the next week keep track of your sleeping pattern using a simple sleep journal thatincludes:
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Approximate time you fell asleep
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Time you wake up
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Number of hours you slept
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How do you feel when you wake up
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Did you dream?
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