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by Judy Singleton
We live in a high
tech world that simply operates 24/7, so a lot of us are sleep
deprived.
Many
cities such as my own city of Portland, Oregon, now have
supermarkets, drugstores, video stores and restaurants that
are
open 24 hours a day. The people who operate these stores
plus the
police, nurses, firemen, factory workers often work a
rotating shift.
More people are working from home and do not follow a set
schedule, I
know I am one of them. TV stations and radios stations are
operating 24 hours a day. Commute times take longer
and we play catch up from the office by taking work home. No
wonder most of us are getting 5 hours of sleep a night or
less. Are you one of these people? Noise pollution as cities
grow is a problem too. I know that I work odd shifts being a
caregiver and then have to sleep a lot of times during the
day.
Neighbors run loud music, chain saws, lawn mowers. The noise
level never allows me to get enough sleep. Some people
have sleep apena. Sleep apnea means episodes of cessation of
breathing during night time sleep that can occur as often as
several hundred times in a night. Snoring is a warning that
the sleeper may be a victim of sleep apnea.
OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYMPTOMS
Loud snoring. This can indicate breathing problems or
blocked air
passages. Cessation of breathing or choking spells in the
night. In severe cases, this can occur over fifty times an
hour with each hundreds of times a night with each one
lasting as long as ten seconds.
How
can you decide if you are getting enough sleep?
Ask your self some questions.
1.Do you find you have lack of attention?
2.Do
you experience memory loss?
3.Do
you get irratiable and frustration at coworkers or friends?
4.Do
you have poor concentration?
Of course you may not have any serious sleep disorder, you
may just be suffering ordinary things like a new baby, a
sick child, worry over some stressor in your life, like
losing your job, or other worries. These kinds of sleep
deprivation usually go away in time.
If you think you might be sleep deprived there are some
things you can do. Ask yourself how much sleep makes you
feel really well. Then set a goal to get that much sleep.
Some things you might do is get some exercise it promotes
sleep. Don't eat, drink coffee, tea or alcohol within two
hours of going to bed. Stop smoking. Don't use your bedroom
for anything except sleep. Establish that when you go into
your bedroom that you are going there to sleep. Establish a
bedtime ritual. Don't think about troubles when you are
going to sleep. Put them on hold until the next day they
will still be there.
Recognizing you are sleep deprived is the first step.
Knowing that being sleep deprived is dangerous if you are
operating machinery, or driving your car is important. You
also may be putting your job on the line with lack of
attention and memory loss.
So see what is keeping you up. If you suspect you have a
sleep disorder see your doctor. If not maybe giving up an
extra hour of whatever is keeping you up will do it. Try to
de-stress your life as much as possible, tension is a major
factor in having sleeping problems. Try to close your eyes,
breathe deeply and think about something pleasant or
relaxing. You might try some daily meditation it cuts stress
better than anything I know of. Try yoga and deep breathing.
They both promote good sleep. If you have other health
problems and pain is a factor in you not sleeping be sure
and see your doctor. Take good care of yourself and Be well.
About the Author
Judi
Singleton publishes Jassmine's Journal Be Well edition
weekly
you can subscribe by sending an email with subscribe in the
subject line to editor@jassmine.com Join Judi's other lists
at
http://www.motherearthpublishing.com
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