Something is keeping Americans up at night. More than one third of adults regularly don’t get enough sleep, and 25% percent of kids have difficulty sleeping.
The causes of those sleep issues vary—from the sleep-suppressing blue light of a smartphone to the effects of booze—and they’re hard to pin down. But whatever the cause, more and more of us, particularly women and seniors, are turning to sleeping pills for relief.
Sleep Deprivation
Inadequate or unsatisfactory sleep is becoming a serious health issue of the modern living. The rush to meet the targets in the work, nuclear family, urban life style, frequent travel to different time zone, shift work, long distance of journey between home and work place are all contributing havoc to the health and becoming a slow killer.
Sleep is one of the basic necessities for a healthy living. Good and adequate sleep improves the quality of life. Sleep helps the brain to work properly, improve memory and provide longevity. The ability to function and feel well while you’re awake depends on whether you’re getting an adequate amount of sleep.
It also depends on whether you’re sleeping at a time when the body demands to sleep. While sleeping, the brain is preparing for the next day by forming new pathways to help learning and remembering information.
Like good eating, drinking and breathing habits; good sleeping habit and adequate duration of sleep are key factors of a healthy lifestyle. According to the National Sleep Foundation, US, everyone, with few exceptions, needs seven to nine hours of sleep a night for the body and mind to function optimally.
Inadequate sleep can lead to physical and mental health problems such as injuries, loss of productivity and even a risk of death due to diseases like high blood pressure. Premature ageing, diabetes, anxiety disorders are also some other problems associated with less sleep. Studies shows that people who get less than six hours a night sleep develop higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins than those who get more sleep.
Sleep deprivation is the condition of not having enough sleep; it can be either chronic or acute. A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness and weight loss or weight gain. It adversely affects the brain and cognitive functions. This is commonly found in mothers with a young baby, people working in shifts, people travelling in different time zones, and young executives.
Causes
Sleep deficiency may be due to varied causes. It could be due to location problems such as excessive noise or too much light. Physical factors such as diet or exercise, stressors and emotional events could also cause sleep disturbances and sleep deprivation.
Shortage of sleep is a common problem with women given birth to a baby recently. College students are particularly prone to sleep scarcity for a variety of reasons. Adjusting to college life, ongoing academic and social demands may be very stressful to the new entrants. These may have an impact on the student’s ability to sleep properly.
For students who share room together, differences in nightly routines of the partner can cause sleep disturbance. Interpersonal frictions and tensions among colleagues, meeting academic deadlines and erratic schedules are other factors that interfere with normal sleep patterns.
The use of alcohol and caffeine that are becoming a part of the lifestyle are common causes of sleep disruption in both college students as well executives. Some college students are at risk for sleep disturbance primarily because they don’t recognize the importance of sleep.
Some view the sleeping time as wasted time and consciously disregard the need for sleep. However, the fact is that sleep is essential for optimal functioning of the body and ignoring the need for sleep has many negative consequences, including irritability, exhaustion, lack of concentration, and impaired judgment.
Signs And Symptoms
There is a myth that sleep can be conditioned by learning to get little sleep with no negative effects. However, studies show that getting enough quality sleep at the right times is important for mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.
Feeling of tiredness and remain un refreshed during the day are some of the major symptoms of those who are deprived of adequate sleep. Sleep deficiency also can interfere with work, schooling, driving, and social functioning.
Sleep deficiency can cause problems with learning, focusing, reacting, and trouble in making decisions, solving problems, remembering things, controlling emotions, behaviour or coping with change. The person may take longer time to finish tasks, have a slower reaction time, and make more mistakes.
The signs and symptoms of sleep deficiency may differ between children and adults. Children who are sleeping short might be hyperactive and show problems paying attention. They also might misbehave and their school performance could suffer.
Sleep-deficient children may feel angry and impulsive, have mood swings, feel sad or depressed, or lack motivation.
Effects Of Sleep Deficiency On Physical Health
Sleep plays an important role in the physical health of people. Prolonged sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Sleep deficiency also increases the menace of obesity. One study of teenagers showed that with each hour of sleep lost, the chances of becoming obese went up. Sleep deficiency increases the risk of obesity in other age groups as well.
Sleep helps maintain a balance of the hormones that regulates appetite. Sleep also affects the hormone that controls the blood glucose level and its deficiency may increase the risk for diabetes.
Sleep also supports healthy growth and development. Deep sleep triggers the body to release the hormone that promotes normal growth in children and teens. This hormone also boosts muscle mass and helps repair cells and tissues in children, teens, and adults.
Prolonged sleep deficiency can change the way in which the immune system responds.
Sleep disturbance can also be an indication of other underlying medical conditions or psychological disorder. It may, for instance, be a symptom of an Anxiety or Mood Disorder. Furthermore, sleep disturbance that is chronic or severe can bring on or exacerbate serious psychological disorder.
How To Use Sleeping Pills Safely
Always speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you are having trouble sleeping.
If you have been prescribed sleeping pills, here are some tips on using them safely:
- Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you can take your sleeping pills with your other prescription and non-prescription medicines.
- Take the pills as prescribed.
- Aim to use them for as short a period as possible, preferably no more than 1 to 2 weeks, then get off them.
- Discuss with your doctor or pharmacist how to stop safely.
- Don’t mix sleeping pills with alcohol.
- Don’t take someone else’s sleeping pills or share yours with anybody.
Check Out Some Best Sleeping Pills Available on Amazon.com
Amazon Customer Review : This product has drastically improved my quality of sleep without the morning grogginess. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wishes to improve sleep quality, one word of advice is to make sure you have a full 7 1/2 to 8 hours to devote to sleep.
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Amazon Customer Review : I’ve been plagued my headaches since high school, until now adult life and it has saved my day many times now. Moved from Panadol to Excedrin and so far haven’t regretted it. It does make you sleepy though which it’s supposed to do. It also doesn’t give me that bad feeling in my gut compared to the Migraine variety (the red one) although that one does the job especially for more serious headaches.
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3. CCL Sleep Inhaled Sleep Aid
Amazon Customer Review : You name it and I have tried it this product does work a couple of times I would spray it into my mouth and it would kind of Sting the back of my throat and then I just drink some water right afterwards I don’t know what some of the other people were talking about that had negative comments but I will definitely order this again.
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Amazon Customer Review : Advil pm/any ibuprofen pm work essentially the same. Benadryl makes you sleepy, while also slightly reducing any inflammation, as does the ibuprofen. Together they work great as a sleep aid for a chronic pain suffurer. If you are not in pain, don’t use ibuprofen pm, but instead try just Benadryl.
Ibuprofen may also cause stomach issues, so try to stay sitting up for at least 30 min after taking any, and when possible, take with food.
This stuff works great for falling asleep, but the drawback is being very tired when I wake up. Not everyone has this issue, but I do. Getting out of bed is extra hard, since after 8 hours ibuprofen stops working, so your pain comes back, and you might still be sleep. Use with caution and don’t replace ibuprofen with this!
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5. Sleep Aid with Valerian Root
Amazon Customer Review : I usually don’t feel compelled to leave reviews unless the product is truly amazing. This the best natural sleep aid I ever used! I have been dealing with anxiety and insomnia for a long while every since I took up entrepreneurship. I tried all kinds of teas, scents, and pills to help me sleep but none worked as well as this. I have vivid dreams every-time I take it and feel well rested almost all the time when I wake up. One caveat, sometimes I feel two pills is too much and I sometimes wake up alittle drowsy. I take one pill and get great effects.
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6. ValuMeds Nighttime Sleep Aid
Amazon Customer Review : I love these! I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence or not, but I sleep the whole night! The previous ones I took I would always wake up 1 or 2 times during the night. I also like the fact that I wake up and am not drowsy or anything. I just feel rested and refreshed!
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7. Natural Herbal Sleep Supplement Made with Valerian Root
Amazon Customer Review : I have a hard time getting sound sleep. Doctors try to prescribe medications but a lot of my friends have become reliant on the meds. Was looking for a natural solution and this did it! 8 hrs of deep sleep without any of the grogginess .
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8. Naturally Sourced Ingredients
Amazon Customer Review : Have been using zzzquil, ambien, NyQuil just to be able to sleep. However, long term use irritates my GERD. Ambien made me groggy when I wake up. So went to Amazon and searched for natural sleep aid. Luna popped up first with 3k great reviews. So I purchased Luna. I have been happily sleeping very very well. I take 2 capsules. It does not bother my GERD. I am on my second bottle. Company called Nested follow-up with me several times to ensure that I was happy with the product. Nested has great customer service even after the sale. Highly recommended.
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Amazon Customer Review : I originally had been using Lavella to help alleviate the general anxiety I am constantly suffering from. It works, but is a little too pricey. I found Calm Aid and thought I would give it a try since it is much more affordable. In my opinion, it works just as well as the more expensive option. I don’t like taking the prescribed stuff because of the side effects but needed something to ease my anxiety at those times when it was too much. I usually take 1 or 2 of these and it does the trick for me. Not only do I have them at home but also keep them at work and in my purse. Like I said, it takes the edge off when I need it and makes my more anxious moments a little more manageable and tolerable.
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10. SERENITY Natural Sleep Aid
Amazon Customer Review : This is working very well for me. Give it 10 days to 2 weeks. I have not taken prescription medications for sleep for about 6 weeks. I have not slept through the night for years, truly. I have changed many things, and this is one of them. I have slept through the night nearly every night this calendar year, since I have been taking these. I am cautiously optimistic this will continue working.
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