Promoting Peaceful Sleep

It’s midnight and I am still awake. I went to bed at 8:00 pm to wake up at 4:45 am so this insomnia isn’t funny at all #WTF. I resort to taking a sleep aid (I know not natural at all but I’ll get to that part later).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need seven or more hours of sleep per night for optimal health and wellbeing. But in America, 70 percent of adults report that they obtain insufficient sleep at least one night a month, and 11 percent report insufficient sleep every night, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association. What’s more, sleep-related problems affect an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes.

Sleep disorders and deprivation is serious. Sleepiness may contribute to automobile crashes and on-the-job accidents. In fact, drowsy driving may be a factor in 20 percent of all serious motor vehicle crash injuries. And untreated sleep disorders and sleep deprivation are estimated to cost over $100 billion annually in lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave, property, and environmental damage.  

According to the Sleep Foundation, a sleep disorder refers to conditions that affect sleep quality, duration, timing, and the person’s ability to function while they are awake. More than 100 sleep disorders exist. Some of these disorders include:

·       Insomnia-difficulty falling asleep and remaining asleep despite time and motivation to do so.

·       Narcolepsy-disorder where someone is excessively tired during the day despite getting enough sleep.

·       Restless Leg Syndrome-also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease, RSL is characterized by itching, throbbing and other painful sensations in the legs and powerful urges to move the legs while they are at rest.

·       Sleep Apnea-disorder that occurs due to blockage of the upper airway.

Standard treatments for sleep disorders are cognitive behavioral therapy, sleep aids, and other types of medications. Some natural alternatives include exercise and meditation. Someone mentioned some meditation videos on YouTube that I may check out again or just meditate on my own for ten minutes or so every now and then. Blessedly, I did eventually go to sleep that particular night and I managed to get some reasonable hours of sleep. But insomnia or lack of sleep can be scary. It’s nice to know there are some solutions that you can put into use right now.