How can I get a good night's sleep ?

How can I get a good night's sleep ?

 

Most people would agree that there's nothing better than a good night's sleep. Stressful day at the office? Long hours doing outdoor-work and housework? All this can be repaired with a nice, long sleep. You awake the next day feeling calm, refreshed and ready for anything -- the stresses, aches and pains of the previous day are long gone.

 

Are you getting enough sleep?

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you often feel drowsy during the day?

Do you usually fall asleep within the first five minutes after lying down in bed?

If you answered “yes” to either of these, you're likely to be sleep deprived or have a sleep disorder.

 

No matter how much sleep you need, if you don't get enough, you will suffer the effects of sleep deprivation. Research has shown that in tests of driving ability and hand-eye coordination, people deprived of sleep perform as badly as, or even worse than, people who are intoxicated. It's no wonder that drowsiness is a major cause of traffic accidents and deaths. Sleep deprived may experience slowed speech, apathy, impaired memory, deflated emotional response and an inability to multitask. Aside from these bothersome side effects chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to high blood pressure, depression and other psychiatric problems, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. If deprived of sleep, Children and young adults are more likely to perform less in exams and get more prone for addiction to alcohol and other drugs. 

WHAT WE CAN DO TO AVOID ABOVE COMPLICATIONS?

HOW WE CAN IMPROVE OUR SLEEP QUALITY NATURALLY?

 

Practicing good sleep hygiene, including maintenance of a regular bedtime and awakening schedule, is the best way to ensure restful and restorative sleep. Avoidance of caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, TV or computer work, and strenuous exercise in the 2 hours prior to bedtime can also help improve the quality of your sleep. Having medium dinner, morning yoga / walk, optimum temperature of bed room and quite environment will help you. Many people report that they lie awake at night worrying about problems or situations they will face during the coming day. In this case, it can be helpful to write a to-do list or a list of items to act upon the following day prior to bedtime, giving yourself permission to "let go" of these items during the night. If you have trouble falling asleep try – washing your feet in cold water, empty your bladder before going to bed, don’t keep watch just next to bed as it will make you nervous if you don’t get sleep on time.

If you are concerned about the quality of your sleep or if you have the symptoms of a sleep disorder, it is important to consult your health care practitioner. He or she can help you determine the cause of your sleep problem and recommend appropriate therapy. Never take sleeping pills or over counter medications without consulting a sleep specialist as they can be addictive and make your problem worse on long run in addition to their other side effect.  Good sleep pattern is key to healthy life. On this world sleep day- let’s care for it as we spend one third of our life span sleeping….

 Dr Swapnil Deshmukh

MD (Psychiatrist)

Sleep disorder specialist

9923291312.