Tag: Sleeplessness

Sleep Disorders In Children Can Result From Excessive Screen Time

Kids don’t often have the same level of discipline as adults. They easily get distracted and can’t fully commit to a goal. It is in their nature. They undergo rapid growth and development that their personality and preferences also change from time to time. Our modern world does not help either because countless tech distractions keep them preoccupied all day and night long that this habit has a negative effect on their health and well-being. If you look around you today, you can see young kids who are more adept at using tech gadgets that half the adult population. They can easily navigate the web and are even more familiar with the countless apps that litter the World Wide Web. Adults are not the only ones addicted to them but even young kids and teens too and it is proving to be alarming on various levels. Heck, even seniors experience real issues because of them.

If you give your child a smartphone or gadget and allow them full WiFi or Internet access, you may just find your child addicted to it already in a few months’ time and it is all your fault. The hours will just fly by and even studies prove how addicted kids have become to these tech contrivances it has become their way of life. Sleep is crucial to normal growth and development. Children need it the most because they go through various changes in the course of a few years and if they don’t give their bodies the rest and recuperation it needs to grow strong and healthy, their growth may be stunted and their mental capacity may also be affected. It just spells bad news for children and their parents, so it is better to put a limit on their screen time and be hated at times rather than compromise your child’s health and well-being.

Higher use of electronic media is tied to poorer sleep quality in children as young as three, a new study from Germany suggests.

The study investigated the association between media consumption – including electronic media such as television, DVDs and computer gaming as well as books – with overall sleep quality in 530 three-year-olds born in southern Germany in 2012 and 2013.

Based on parent responses to a questionnaire, higher electronic media consumption was strongly linked to poor overall sleep quality, including worsening bedtime resistance, sleep anxiety, and daytime sleepiness.

(Via: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-children-sleep/greater-screen-time-linked-to-worsening-sleep-quality-in-early-childhood-idUSKBN1F42JA)

Aside from that, children unconsciously push their bedtime late into the wee hours of the morning and expose them to harmful blue light that does a lot of harm to their growing bodies. They end up going to school sleep and thus unable to concentrate on today’s lesson, so they end up like a blank canvas that are physically present but mentally absent. We are not even taking into consideration here the additional energy burden of tech users to the world and to the environment as they endlessly tinker with their devices even if they aren’t doing anything useful with it but just simply passing time.

The team found that increased media use was associated with getting a shorter night’s sleep and taking a longer daytime nap.

In particular, children who were caught sneakily using media when they should be sleeping were found to sleep less at night, take longer daytime naps, and go to bed later on weekdays compared to children who didn’t sneakily use media — all factors that can negatively impact a child’s healthy development.

The team were also not surprised to find that children who had televisions in their bedrooms were 127% more likely to engage in sneaky media use compared to those without a TV in their room.

In addition, the results also revealed that children who were the heaviest media users in the study were also likely to have parents who were heavy media users, with the researchers suggesting that the problem should be addressed for the whole family and not only young children.

(Via: https://citizen.co.za/lifestyle/fitness-and-health-your-life-your-life/1783430/screen-time-can-chip-away-at-young-childrens-sleep/)

It is unavoidable for children to be exposed to technology because this is the reality of our time today. We use tech gadgets in our day-to-day and they can either make life good or bad for us. Again, technology can become your friend or foe depending on how it is used. Children can’t always make the best decision for themselves, so the responsibility boils down to their parents on how they can help them enjoy the best of both worlds so they don’t feel deprived yet at the same time they learn the art of discipline and not abuse technology. If you indulge them, it will just result in abuse, so better set limitations early on.

Children who constantly suffer from sleeplessness may be due to the many distractions in their life that prevent them from getting that shuteye on time each night but it can also be because of a sleep disorder like sleep apnea. This condition is often diagnosed in the first few years of life as it usually is caused by a congenital anomaly. Aside from surgery, CPAP is an excellent treatment for sleep apnea although not everyone is thrilled at the thought of using it in their sleep and here’s why: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/why-a-cpap-machine-is-probably-not-for-you. If that’s the case, you can try an anti-snoring mouthpiece like https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx, which is a great alternative to CPAP because it keeps the airway open and also addresses the snoring sound most people with sleep apnea often make.

The Sleeplessness Epidemic

With the countless distractions we now face on a daily basis, it is easy to understand why people give up sleep first in order to do more in life. 24 hours each day simply is not just enough anymore for us to pursue what we like to do most. Both young and old are affected, it does not discriminate. Dark under-eye bags are no longer uncommon and people often complain they lack sleep but does not seem to be doing anything about it. It is high time we think of sleep as no longer a luxury but as a necessity that it really is. We sleep for a lot of reasons and that is what nature designed it to be. It is not up to us to decide whether we need it or not because your body will ask for it every day without fail.

It is the only respite you can offer your tired body after a long day at work or at school. At times, there is not much you can do to save yourself and your sanity from the hassles and struggles of daily life apart from allowing yourself to temporarily say goodbye to the world when you close your eyes in slumber. Yet what most of us do? We consciously and willingly give up sleep because the lure of modern living is just irresistible. Smartphone use has bordered to an addiction and it is common knowledge already yet most of us aren’t worried about it at all even if young kids and toddlers are now hooked to smart gadgets as well.

For a lot of people, getting a good night’s sleep and feeling well rested throughout the day is an indulgence. With busy workdays and inconsistent sleep schedules, it is no wonder people struggle with tiredness and other serious health concerns stemming from sleep deprivation.

Roxanne Brooks is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Adult Sleep Coach who consults out of the CanSleep clinics, a medical consulting company that provides treatments for sleep-related disorders and specializes in sleep apnea. Brooks, who works by referral from the Clinical Therapists, said there are several things that people do throughout the day that affect their sleeping habits, both in positive and negative ways. She suggested that the time at which you exercise, have your last coffee, or watch TV can drastically affect your sleeping habits and overall quality of sleep.

(Via: http://www.tricitynews.com/standout/sleep-is-not-a-luxury-1.23145590)

When we say that there is a sleep epidemic, we are just stating facts and not making assumptions. This is a widespread sleep disaster as the boundaries between day and night are fast being blurred by modern conveniences and contrivances. After all, it is a common practice already for people to check their phones soon after arising and then the last thing they tinker with before retiring for the night. As if these modern addictions aren’t enough, life in itself is stressful with the daily traffic to and from school and work, the multitude of chores and tasks we all have to finish, and the inconsistent sleep patterns we have to deal with every single day. No wonder sleep clinics are growing in popularity as more and more people report sleep-related issues but getting treated is no joke, as well as appointments in these facilities, don’t come cheap.

Learn and practice relaxation techniques.  The harder you try to sleep, the greater the chances are that you’ll end up gnashing your teeth all night rather than stacking some z’s.  That’s why it is important to relax once you’re in bed.  “The one problem with insomnia is that, people often concentrate too much on their sleep, and they press too hard,” says Dr. Michael Stevenson, clinical director of the North Valley Sleep Disorders Center in California.  “The key to successfully falling asleep is to reduce your focus and avoid working yourself into a frenzy.” 

Biofeedback exercises, deep breathing, muscle stretches or yoga may help.  Special audiotapes can teach you how to progressively relax your muscles.  It may not come easy at first, but as Dr. David Neubauer of the Johns Hopkins University Sleep Disorders Center says, “It’s like dieting; you must work on it all the time.  It will take time to get results, but if you stick with it, it will pay off.” 

(Via: https://businessmirror.com.ph/sleep-tight-sleep-right/)

Sleep is supposed to be a recuperative process and it has not changed over the years despite all the changes in our surroundings and lifestyle. The more we neglect our sleep, the higher the risk of contracting chronic and debilitating conditions as we continue to deny our body the chance to recharge and heal itself from the strain and tension it had to endure for the day. While sleeping normally and healthily is such a challenge now, it is still possible and doable. Don’t throw in the towel just yet because all you need is your sheer will and determination and you’ll be able to overcome any struggle even if it means you need to set turn off your phone as soon as the click hits your bedtime.

Meanwhile, it is a different story for those with diagnosed sleep disorders because there are things happening to your body that is beyond your control. For instance, sleep apnea patients face a lot of dangers every time they close their eyes for the night. Anti-snoring mouthpieces such as https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/zquiet and https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx may not be the ideal management but they are helpful enough in addressing sleep apnea while at the same time curbing the annoying snoring sound individuals suffering from sleep apnea often make.

The Ugly Truth About Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is a luxury. Many will agree with that premise. The more advanced our technology becomes, the more likely we are to lose sleep. It is a sad truth that we have learned to live with over the years. There are simply so many things that need to get done that we unconsciously put off our sleep and will ourselves to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning in our ruse of being more productive. In reality, we are doing more harm than good by depriving ourselves of precious sleep. It is not just the lost hours that we are talking about here, it is what you subject your body to endure. Are you even aware that chronic sleep deprivation does not just deprive you of sleep of essential oxygen needed by every single cell in your body? As a result, you become more prone to numerous diseases and afflictions like debilitating and deadly ones such as heart attack and stroke.

People these days like to portray being a night owl as something cool. Imagine going to all the coolest clubs and hotspots in the dead of the night when the supposedly uncool people are already tucked in bed fast asleep. Unfortunately, our body gradually suffers from each all-nighter we pull. There is a reason why we sleep at night and we are not about to start an argument on science about it. Sleep should is a restorative process that not only heals our bodies from the strain and stresses it had to put up with throughout the day but also to prepare it for what lies ahead tomorrow. But when you stay up all night long doing God knows what, you essentially miss out on the benefits of sleep and subject yourself to the dangers of chronic sleeplessness.

“We certainly know that a lack of sleep will actually prevent your brain from being able to initially make new memories, so it’s almost as though without sleep the memory inbox of the brain shuts down and you can’t commit new experiences to memory,” he says. 

However, that’s not the worst of it. Lack of sleep can also lead your brain to develop a greater concentration of beta amyloid, a toxic protein that’s linked to Alzheimer’s disease. 

“It is during deep sleep at night when a sewage system within the brain actually kicks into high gear and it starts to wash away this toxic protein, beta amyloid,” Walker explains.

“So if you’re not getting enough sleep each and every night, more of that Alzheimer’s-related protein will build up.

(Via: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/sleep-deprivation-video-effects-body-mind-human-health-cancer-alzheimers-dementia-brain-damage-a8153851.html)

Different parts of your body can feel the impact of sleep deprivation. Your body’s defenses go down the more nights you stay up thereby leaving your body unable to fend off pathogens and infections in case you are exposed to one. You easily get sick and feel sleepy, tired, and generally exhausted and irritated the whole day. You increase the risk of you developing and succumbing to certain diseases like cancer because again, your defenses are down and you did not give your body a chance to recharge by neglecting sleep when you were supposed to be sleeping soundly in bed at night.

He describes how lack of sleep creates problems with anger and violence control, and is linked with “aggression, bullying and behavioural problems”. What was that I remember about Donald Trump living on just four hours of sleep a night?

And for more gory detail than you would probably like, sleep starvation also massively compromises a man’s testicles, virility and testosterone levels: “The hormonal blunting effect (of lack of sleep) is so large that it effectively ages a man by 10-15 years in terms of testosterone virility.” Sperm counts are on average 29 per cent lower than for men who sleep better.

(Via: http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2127905/wake-its-time-stop-treating-sleep-deprivation-badge-honour)

Saying that sleeplessness is an epidemic is more of an understatement. It is an epidemic we gladly put ourselves in without having second thoughts as to its repercussions in the coming years. Don’t be a victim of this mentality and learn to care for yourself first because you only have one body to last you a lifetime. The truth is, your lifetime and the quality of your life depends on how well you take care of your body and that includes adopting a regular sleeping schedule and sticking to it religiously aside from practicing a healthy lifestyle overall. If you happen to suffer from a sleep disorder, head to the doctor right away. Don’t simply shrug it off as a mere inconvenience but think of it as the medical condition that it is.

Sleep apnea, for instance, poses more danger than we like to acknowledge and we are not just focusing on the annoying snoring sound these people makes. If you haven’t seen a doctor yet for whatever reasons, protect yourself from more harm by using anti-snoring mouthpieces such as https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx that not just reduces the snoring sound but address the anatomical problem to prevent breathing gaps that characterizes sleep apnea. CPAP isn’t a popular choice for patients and here’s why https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/why-a-cpap-machine-is-probably-not-for-you.