Sleep – Many people today battle with sleep loss, exhaustion, and insomnia as a result of their hectic lifestyles. These are themes that interest me much as a psychiatrist at the UCI Health Neuropsychiatric Center.
Symptoms of insufficient sleep
If you require an alarm clock to wake up, this is a sign that you are not getting enough rest.
With the proper hours of rest each night, you should really be able to get up at approximately the same time each day on your own. Of course, you may wish to use an alarm clock in just case, so that you are not concerned.
Another common indicator: If you rest significantly longer on your weekends off than you thought on workdays, you are most likely sleep-deprived.
Recognize and understand your sleep cycles
Two processes control when and how often we sleep:
- The first is just the amount of time you’ve been awake. Typically, we function very effectively for approximately 16 hours and afterward rest for approximately 8 hours. The key point to remember is that you really can will yourself to rest. Being awake contributes to the development of the need for rest.
- Your circadian rhythm, or biological clock, is the other governing component. It is frequently timed with the light/dark cycle, which pushes us to sleep in the dark and remain awake throughout the day.
We are awake for the first half of the day because we are suitably rested. By mid-afternoon, we frequently begin to feel sleepy.
This is not simply because you ate a large lunch. While a slight decrease in the afternoon is relatively standard, excessive tiredness may be an indication of sleep deprivation.
Our circadian alert signal becomes stronger later in the afternoon.
This “second wind” is biological, not psychological, and does not occur simply because we have completed our work or school assignments and are now free to pursue recreational activities.
The Waklert 150 belongs to the class of eugeroics or wakefulness-promoting agents, primarily used to treat excessive sleepiness in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), narcolepsy, and shift work sleep disorder (SWD).
We initially entered a period of deep sleep at night as a reaction to having been up all day. Late that night is when the majority of dreaming occurs.
This occurs after we’ve met a portion of our rest requirement and is caused by the circadian alert signal becoming at its weakest.
These two periods of sleep — early deep sleep in the first half of the night and greater dreaming in the second half — are occasionally separated by a period of alertness.
Thus, our daytime and nighttime processes tend to replicate one another.
Simple sleep-related tips
Numerous critical sleep behaviors are ones that you engage in during the day.
My advice:
- Keep a regular schedule: Avoid excessive variation in your sleeping and waking hours. If you have to get up early for work on weekdays, manage to wake up early on weekends, no and over an hour or so later than your typical wake-up time. Contrary to popular belief, your biological clock is accurate.
- Limit naps: Naps disrupt the sleep deprivation necessary to rest at night. If you have difficulty sleeping at night, keep naps brief and no later than mid-afternoon.
- Get exercise: It benefits your health and emotions in addition to walking your sleep, and it also helps you feel less exhausted than sitting all day.
- See the light: We are fortunate in Southern California because the majority of days are bright and sunny. If you are unable to get outside for at least 30 minutes, consider purchasing a “tunable light” that progressively adjusts the color spectrum during the day (blues early, reds late) to simulate natural light. However, avoid strong lights at least an hour before bedtime, as they can interfere with your body’s regular melatonin production, which is necessary for rest.
- Avoid stimulants: Nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol use all have the potential to alter rest patterns. Avoid or limit them, particularly in the evening. Bear in mind that certain medications (e.g., antidepressants and blood pressure meds) might also interfere with naps.
- Relax: Avoid emotionally or physically taxing activities in the final hour before bed. Our brains require time to unwind. Adults can benefit from the same rituals that children do – reading or taking a shower before bed.
Are you still feel exhausting?
Contact your primary care physician if indeed the aforementioned activities do not alleviate your sleep problems.
Sleep disorders are generally treatable. The majority of sleep-related underlying causes – stress, worry, depression, and medical disorders – which properly treated by your general care physician.
Your physician may choose to send you to a sleep specialist if you have any potentially serious sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or chronic insomnia.
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