Sleep With Comfort
Why is it so hard to get up in the morning? Why is it that I still feel tired in the day even after hours of sleep? Sleep is an essential component of guaranteeing a healthy life, yet no one know what exactly it does to our body and daily functioning. If we don't get enough of it, we might find ourselves in a serious health problem. It is important that we check on the amount of sleep we get every night, and the quality of our sleep.
There are certain factors that prevent us from being completely relaxed and comfortable during sleep. One thing is the consumption of caffeine. The fact that caffeine hinders our sleep is no news, but there are still some people who claim that caffeine does nothing to their bodies and their sleep. I used to say that I had no problem sleeping even right after drinking a full cup of coffee right before sleep.
"Because caffeine is a stimulant, most people use it after waking up in the morning or to remain alert during the day. While it is important to note that caffeine cannot replace sleep, it can temporarily make us feel more alert by blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain and increasing adrenaline production." http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/caffeine-and-sleep
It is not long ago that I found out that while I may be able to fall asleep fast, my sleep might not be deep and relaxing enough. The stimulant chemical found in caffeine disrupts the order in certain parts of the brain, keeping you almost half-awake during your sleep, resulting in tiredness and fatigue the next day. If you're taking caffeine throughout the day to keep yourself "awake", you now know it is a silly decision to make.
As you get older, the ability to fall and stay asleep gradually decreases. One factor that might be responsible for contributing in this phenomenon is the increased amount of their daily medications for various health problems such as diabetes, psychiatric illnesses, etc.
"Many older adults, though certainly not all, also report being less satisfied with sleep and more tired during the day. Studies on the sleep habits of older Americans show an increase in the time it takes to fall asleep (sleep latency), an overall decline in REM sleep, and an increase in sleep fragmentation (waking up during the night) with age." http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/caffeine-and-sleep
It is often thought that as a person gets older, the amount of sleep required by the body to function properly decreases. This is wrong. Throughout adulthood, the required amount of sleep generally stays the same. It is the medication that acts as a stimulant in the body that keeps many older adults alert during day and night, which can be frustrating and stressful.
If only all of us could sleep like this baby and not feel tired afterward.. If you plan on cutting down your caffeine intake (tea, coffee, chocolate, soda, etc.) and staying healthy, you might be closer to getting there! :)
Image: Creative Commons in Flickr
Comments
Dear Jeanie, Your post,
Dear Jeanie,
Your post, "Sleep with Comfort," caught my attention because I find myself finding it difficult to sleep and when I'm finally able to fall asleep, I have to wake up early for school. Often, I just lie in bed for an hour or two before I can fall asleep. I try to finish my work earlier so I can get to sleep earlier but that never works because I end up just lying there. The only days I enjoy sleep is on the weekends.
One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: "It is important that we check on the amount of sleep we get every night, and the quality of our sleep." I think this is true because the quality of sleep is just as important as the quality. You need to fall deep into sleep for a certain amount of hours, not to be restless the next day.
Another sentence I agreed with was: "As you get older, the ability to fall and stay asleep gradually decreases. One factor that might be responsible for contributing in this phenomenon is the increased amount of their daily medications for various health problems such as diabetes, psychiatric illnesses, etc." This stood out for me because it seems sensible that as you grow older, there's an increase in medical problems, leading to more difficulty during sleep.
Your post reminds me of something that happened to me. One time, I didn't have much work to do so I finished it quickly and went to bed. However, I just lay there with my eyes closed and checked the time after every ten or twenty minutes. I wasted like 45 minutes. On the weekends, I don't care what time I fall alseep because I wake up late the next day, maybe around 2 p.m.
Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write because your post was something I could relate to and liked to learn more about.
Dear Jlee2: Your post,
Dear Jlee2:
Your post, "Sleep With Comfort," caught my interest right away. I used to have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night, and I would be tired throughout the next day. I only recently realized just how important a few more hours of sleep is, and it really has changed my academic and athletic performance, and I feel much better overall during the day.
One sentence that stood out to me was: "It is not long ago that I found out that while I may be able to fall asleep fast, my sleep might not be deep and relaxing enough." Once I learned how to get myself to fall asleep, I still felt tired and groggy the next day. However, I only noticed this when I tossed and turned all night or was in and out of sleep. So, I started paying more attention to what I did before I went to sleep, instead of just getting in bed and closing my eyes. For example, I always pack my things for the next morning so I'm not stressing about remembering things, and I turn of all the light in my room, even the little light on my printer.
Your post also informed me of something I wasn't aware of before: "Throughout adulthood, the required amount of sleep generally stays the same. It is the medication that acts as a stimulant in the body that keeps many older adults alert during day and night, which can be frustrating and stressful. " This emphasized taking care of myself and building healthy habits now so that I don't have this problem during adulthood. But more importantly, I now know that I still need a good amout of sleep when I get older, despite perhaps having a demanding job. It seems that my time management skills will need to stay with me longer than I thought.
Thanks for the post, it was informative and interesting on an issue that is important to everyone.
Max
Jeannie, I enjoyed reading
Jeannie, I enjoyed reading this post alot. It was interesting. I already know that coffee is not good to be drank before sleeping. Many people say that drinking coffee in the morning helps you stay awake and alert, however, after I drink coffee, I feel no difference. Interesting... The baby in the picture looks very cute by the way :)
Dear Jeannie, Your post
Dear Jeannie,
Your post interests me because I haven't been sleeping much lately. The problem is I don't drink coffee and haven't eaten chocolate and drank soda for about a month now. I wish I can sleep easier. My younger brother can fall alseep really fast while I tend to stay up for a while before falling asleep.
I really envy in the baby in the picture. I wish it was easy for aall us to sleep easily like the baby. Anyway nice post~!