Why Sleep Issues May Be More Dangerous Than You May Think

By Sarah Sealey

Insomnia is usually not a deadly disease, although it can be dangerous. Not getting an adequate amount of rest may be dangerous when operating cars or trucks or other machinery and can even bring about additional medical problems. Physicians advise that we get eight hours of sleep a night for a reason.

Studies show that up to 200,000 car accidents in the U.S. are attributable to sleep-deprived drivers every year, and that 1,500 of those accidents end in death. Studies also indicate that around one third of Americans have admitted to falling asleep while driving a car, and that 10% of the incidents ended in an automobile accident. People who suffer from chronic sleepiness (insomnia or a different sleep problem) are more likely to fall asleep while driving than people who have regular sleep habits.

You might be surprised to learn that your sleep habits could have an influence on how long you live. A study done in 2002 shows that people that sleep around seven hours each night have the highest lifespan, whereas people who slept six hours or less, or eight hours or more had shorter life spans. Sleep loss by itself doesn't make you have a higher mortality rate, but this same research revealed that people who took sleeping pills did have a higher death rate.

Not surprisingly, your sleep habits can have a significant impact on your quality of life. People who have insomnia could have a quality of life that is nearly as bad as people who have chronic health conditions, such as heart problems. That's because individuals who have insomnia experience more fatigue, irritability, and poorer relationships with their family and friends compared to people who get enough rest. Insomniacs also have more attention and memory difficulties, which often lead to more mistakes at the office. All of these put together can definitely result in a decline in your quality of life.

Insomnia is capable of having a significant impact on your disposition (you know you are grumpy when you do not get plenty of sleep). But it may also lead to depression or other psychological issues. Sleep disorders and psychological problems are so related that often treating a person for insomnia might minimize or even remedy their emotional issues.

As you can see, insomnia will surely take a toll on your body. A sleep disorder can do more than make us tired, it can result in accidents or even severe health concerns down the road. If you suffer from sleep problems for more than a few nights or a few weeks, you ought to go to a doctor to get sleep treatments and also to make sure that there are no other health conditions triggering your sleeplessness.

About the Author:

A Few Quick Tips On How To Treat Chronic Insomnia

By Bill Johnson

We all suffer from the odd sleepless night every will again, but if this happens on a consistent basis then you might have a condition known as chronic insomnia. Insomnia is something that can seriously affect your entire life, and as such it will be important for you to take steps to get over it. With this in mind, here are a few tips on how you might be able to get through the problem.

One thing to do is to make sure that your bedroom is place of rest. Avoid using your bedroom for anything other than sleep so that your body and mind can get used to your bedroom simply being used for this purpose. As such, it is important that you do not watch television in bed, read in bed, or do anything else there that will cause your mind to have distractions when you try to use your bedroom in order to sleep.

It is also a very good idea to try to create and maintain a specific sleeping pattern and schedule that you are able to stick with. If you are able to get up at the same time each morning and get at the same time each night and this will help your body to get caught in a habit that it is unlikely to break out of.

You should also make some lifestyle changes if you want to treat the problem. If you are someone who smokes frequently, cut down on nicotine. If you are someone who drinks a lot then cut down on your alcohol consumption. If you drink a lot of coffee and high levels of caffeine, cut down on this as well. All of these things can cause you to have trouble sleeping and therefore you should cut down on any habits that you might have that will lead to insomnia.

It is also a good idea to get some exercise every single morning. Exercising in the morning hours will help to get your metabolism and will become your system and therefore this is a great way of starting the day in a very positive fashion. Make sure that you do not exercise, however, in the evening hours, particularly just a few hours before you go to bed.

It is also a good idea to reduce your stress levels as much as you can as well. Stress is something that will have a very negative effect upon you in many ways and it can certainly cause your insomnia to worsen. It is therefore a good idea to look into different relaxation techniques that will help you to reduce your stress levels.

Of course, you can also look into taking different medications that will help you sleep as well. There are all sorts of different over-the-counter medications that you could consider, and in addition to this you might want to go to see your doctor who may be able to prescribe you with some more powerful sleeping pills as well.

These are just a few tips that you should consider if you are trying to cure your chronic insomnia.

About the Author: