What Causes Sleep Loss?

Updated May 27, 2022

The Sleep We Need

As we all know, sleep is a crucial part of our lives. It's so crucial, in fact, that we spend a third of our lives doing it, and if we don't sleep often enough, we'll die. We all know this, but for a number of reasons, a lot of us aren't getting the right amount of sleep at night. While some of us elect to trade sleep for hours spent in the office out socializing with friends, or excessive shift work there are still many of us who, despite our best efforts, can't get the right amount of sleep.

When our bodies don't get adequate rest, we begin to see the effects in our day-to-day lives and activities, as well as in our health. That's why it's so important to practice good sleep habits for more healthy sleep time.

According to experts, the five most common sleep problems are: tossing and turning, lack of support, sleeping too hot or too cold, partner disturbance, and mattress roll-off or sag. If you experience any of these disruptions to your circadian rhythm or internal clock on a regular basis, then it's likely that a new mattress can help you experience much-needed nights of undisturbed rest.

Different Phases of Sleep

Do you ever wonder what happens when you sleep? During the night your body changes and goes through different phases. In short, your body goes in and out of REM (rapid eye movement). This cycle has four stages. The first three are non-REM, and the fourth is the REM stage. Your body will go through these phases multiple times while you sleep. For more about REM click here.

1. The act of falling asleep.

2. Your mind begins to slow down.

3. This is the stage that allows your body to enter recovery mode, also known as deep sleep.

4. This is the final stage where you finally enter REM sleep. This is where your muscles relax but your heart rate increases, this stage causes the most intense dreams.

Consequences of Lack of Sleep

Shorting yourself on sleep can harm the above stages. Many people do not understand that not getting enough sleep can lead to long-term health problems and other negative effects. Let's take a look at some of the risks you will face if you cheat yourself out of a good night's sleep.

1. Lack of alertness. This can lead to a lack of focus while you are at work. Sleep deprivation is also a major factor in work-related accidents and car accidents because it affects your reaction time.

2. Weight gain. Without sleep, your brain will be unbalanced. This will make you more likely to overeat, which can eventually lead to obesity.

3. Increased issues with mental health. According to Healthline, poor sleep can disrupt your central nervous system, meaning your body will not be able to properly send information to your brain. Some health issues that you can develop or increase with the effects of sleep deprivation are listed below.

   • Anxiety

   • Depression

   • Suicidal thoughts

   • If you struggle with anxiety and need tips on how to sleep better, visit our page: Better Sleep with Anxiety

4. Increased risk of heart-related problems. According to WebMD, chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders can put you at a higher risk for some of the health issues and other heart conditions listed below.

   • Heart disease

   • Heart attack

   • High blood pressure

   • Diabetes.

5. Weakened immune system. While you sleep, your body uses this time to fight off certain illnesses. Less sleep could mean a longer recovery time from a virus.

Tips for Getting Better Quality Sleep

One of the reasons why people struggle to sleep is anxiety. Anxiety sufferers tend to have a lot of trouble sleeping. As listed above, anxiety can be caused by a lack of sleep; however, having anxiety already can make it harder to fall asleep. Working with a Doctor to treat an anxiety disorder with medication can help improve sleep. Along with anxiety, there could be a number of reasons why you have difficulty falling asleep. Below is a list of ways that can help with sleep loss or anxiety:

• Reduce Caffeine Intake - It can take up to eight hours for caffeine to wear off. Those that suffer from panic attacks should avoid caffeine altogether as they are extra-sensitive to its effects.

• Keep Your Bedroom Cool - The ideal room temperature for quality sleep is 67° F. You can also pair your bed with a cooling mattress topper and cooling pillows for maximum comfort.

• Set a Sleep Schedule for Yourself - Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day resets your internal clock. When you get your body and mind into a sleep pattern your sleep quality can dramatically increase.

• Keep Naps Short - Try only napping for under an hour to ensure that you're properly tired for sleep at night.

• Quit Smoking - Smoking tobacco products has been linked to a reduction in sleep quality. If you need help talk to your doctor about ways you can increase your chances of quitting.

• Limit Late Night Electronic Usage - Setting a boundary with yourself to having a set amount of time to be on your phone or tablet can work wonders.

• Be Careful with Food - Eating too close to bedtime or eating spicy food can cause digestive issues. These can keep you from getting quality sleep.

• Use a Weighted Blanket - Recent research into the effects that weighted blankets can have on anxiety sufferers show an increase in quality rest. Many people find that the added weight helped calm their minds and helped them fall asleep faster.

If you have further questions about how to get better sleep with anxiety you can reach out to our bedding experts at 800-455-1052. They can answer any additional questions you have and recommend an ideal product if you're looking to add to the comfort of your bed. You can also check out our page about sleep essentials for more tips.

Conclusion

Obtaining the proper amount of sleep helps improve your overall quality of life. Allowing your body to go through the stages of REM will allow your body to go through its full self-healing process. Failing to get enough hours of sleep will cause short-term and long-term health problems later in life.

Some of the risks you face are impairment of judgment which as mentioned can cause work and auto accidents. You run the risk of gaining weight, which can bring down your overall well-being in several ways. A lack of sleep will increase your risk of poor mental health as well as cause complications with your heart, blood pressure, and other serious health conditions. Talk to your health care provider if you think your sleepiness is caused by a sleep disorder such as restless leg syndrome(RLS), obstructive sleep apnea OSA, or chronic insomnia.

Mattresses Designed to Help You Sleep Better

One cause of sleep loss could be your mattress, luckily at US-Mattress, we provide w wide variety of options that could improve your sleep. 

It's important to find a mattress that supports your body, but also does a good job of blocking the transfer of motion. Mattresses with individually wrapped coil systems are best for people who share a bed with a partner. When one person moves at night, the other sleeper won't feel the motion and can stay asleep. Foam encased edge support systems ensure consistent comfort and support across the entire sleep surface, so you won't feel a lack of support as you sleep closer to the edge of the mattress.

Additionally, many manufacturers produce mattresses that are designed to help regulate body temperature, so if sleeping too hot or too cold is your difficulty, you can find relief with one of those mattresses. At US-Mattress, we want you to get the best mattress for you, so if you have any questions, you can dial 1-800-455-1052 to speak with a friendly mattress expert who will be glad to assist you.

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Different people will sleep with different mattress preferences. If you what mattress is best for you, check out our wide variety of mattresses to choose from. 

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