I Can't Sleep!When did you last complain that "I can't sleep!"? Last week? Yesterday? Today? Or all of the above? I'm willing to bet that in the last month, most of us have spent at least the occasional night, lying in bed wondering why on earth we cant sleep! Occasional sleepless nights happen to all of us, but how do we know when our sleeplessness is more than just a result of life's daily stresses and strains, or our ever-increasing coffee consumption?
Occasional sleepless nights happen to all of us, but how do we know when our sleeplessness is more than just a result of life's daily stresses and strains, or our ever-increasing coffee consumption? The biggest clue is whether or not your sleep deprivation could be considered chronic.
Why can't I sleep?If you over-indulged in that spicy chili at dinner time, or had an extra shot of espresso in your last cup of coffee, the resulting sleepless night is likely to be considered Transient sleep loss.A bad cold, or pain from an injury can also cause this kind of sleep-related problem. Anything from one night to up to 4 weeks of sleep deprivation generally falls into the 'Transient' category. If you've recently lost your job, or a loved one or are in the middle of some major life-changing situation, you may be spending most nights staring at the ceiling or pacing the floor. Sleep loss of this kind, that lasts anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months, can be considered Intermittent. However, if your sleep disturbances don't seem to relate directly to any physical or emotional stresses or events, and you find you simply cant sleep at least 3 nights a weeks for a period of more than 6 months, your sleep problems could be considered Chronic
Causes of poor sleepThere are many things that can cause transient or intermittent sleep loss. Some of them are very common, even obvious, others are less apparent.Here are a few of the ones most frequently seen :
Although most of the above sleep disruptor's result in only a transient or intermittent loss of sleep, if you don't make an effort to change things you can find that you develop a chronic sleep problem as a result. Sometimes the pattern of sleep disruption continues even after you've stopped drinking 7 cokes a day or watching the late night news in bed. In both these scenarios you need to ask yourself whether you could be suffering from a chronic sleep disorder.
The bottom line...Whether your simply can't sleep on the occasional restless night, or struggle with sleep loss on a daily basis, this sleep deprivation can have serious consequences, both physically and mentally.The importance of sleep is immense and you may well be surprised at just how extensively sleep deprivation can affect your quality of life! Page/Article Links:
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