Insomnia
Feeling tired? Relying on caffeine to get you through the day? Making silly errors or getting cranky with colleagues?
The term “insomnia” translates as the lack of sleep, but it’s really defined as the inability to get the sleep you want. It’s the most common sleep disorder and it affects around 1/3 of adults… and some recent studies indicate even higher rates! While many people acknowledge a bit of missed sleep or tiredness, few realize how much sleep they are missing and how big a problem it may be. Insomnia may be affecting every part of your life, whether or not you know it.
First, a few basics.
There are three main types of insomnia, and usually people tend toward one of these most often:
Difficulty falling asleep at night
Waking up during the night
Waking up too early
The symptoms, familiar to many, are similar between the types.
Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
Irritability, depression or anxiety
Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
Increased errors or accidents
Ongoing worries about sleep
Why is lack of sleep so bad?
Sleep is essential to our brains and bodies. Disrupted sleep habits can change everything about how we perceive and interact with the world around us. Here’s just a quick sample.
Lack of sleep can negatively affect your:
cognitive skills, making you slower and worse at decision making. Research has shown it can impair your driving as much as 2 drinks!
mood and behavior. Many studies have connected it to depression and other mood and anxiety disorders.
immune functioning. Research shows that you’re more likely to get sick and have a harder time healing from injuries.
metabolic functions, altering your ability to achieve and maintain healthy weight and nutrition habits leaving you at risk for metabolic diseases like diabetes.
cellular aging, making you look and feel older than you are.
And more!
Sleep deprivation costs you money.
Just take a look at that list above. Think about all those negative consequences of sleep deprivation and all the money we invest in overcoming those problems. I detail some of these issues in my blog about “Sleep as stress relief”.
And while those sleep troubles are costing you money as an individual, they may also be costing you at work.
There’s a wonderful blog I found on “11 Surprising Ways Stress is Affecting Your Business’ Bottom Line”. The authors do a great job of summarizing some of the key reasons why a company should invest in preventative mental healthcare, like stress management workshops. “When people don’t sleep well, they don’t function well the next day. Inefficiency is expensive to your organization.”
So while poor sleep habits may seem like a personal problem, they might actually be a bigger issue.
Recognize these symptoms?
When I give stress management workshops, the number one thing I end up in conversations about is sleep habits. People report that entire list of symptoms to me! It may be time to change your sleep habits, search for some solutions, and maybe even consult your doctor.
Take a look at a few solutions I offer up in my blog on “5 unexpected tips for how to sleep better” and consider taking my “Ultimate Sleep Challenge”.
Want to talk about sleep more? As always, contact me to create a stress management strategy specific to your situation.
