HELP TO OVERCOME YOUR SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Posted on 12 September 2016
You’ve probably heard the term "hangry" used in those popular Snickers Candy Bar commercials, when someone is so hungry they get angry, and their own friends or teammates can’t even recognize them.
Then, ta-da, a candy bar comes to the rescue! While the ad convinces millions of consumers to keep candy handy when they should perhaps have a banana instead, they also point to a larger issue involving the human body's reaction to a lack of a basic necessity needed for daily survival.
Feeling hangry can point to a much larger problem. When the feelings of anger and helplessness continue long after you’ve satisfied that hunger, it’s time to look deeper at the culprit - and that culprit could be a lack of sleep, or sleep deprivation.
You might know that you aren't getting enough good sleep, but you might not be aware!
WHAT IS SLEEP DEPRIVATION, AND THE CONSEQUENCES?
Sleep deprivation is what happens when you aren’t getting enough sleep every night. Just like your body needs food and water to survive, it also needs sleep.
You might think your body is "just resting up" when you sleep, but it is actually restoring and strengthening itself, while storing and processing memories and information gathered throughout the day. It also cleans house! Blood pressure drops a little; you generate or replenish hormones; your mind figures things out!
On average, adults should clock up anywhere from 7 to 8 (even 9) hours every night, but many don’t get close to enough sleep. Once you start losing those sleeping hours, you can’t get them back.
SIGNS YOU ARE SLEEP-DEPRIVED
You may feel on edge, angry, snappy, irritable, and frustrated. Other signs you are sleep deprived include:
Constant Hunger and Weigh Gain: Lack of sleep tells your brain to increase production of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, while decreasing the levels of the hormone that tells your body when it’s full. You’ll crave fatty, fried and sweet foods. Couple that with the tendency to eat more than is necessary, and a slowing of your metabolism, and you’ve got weight gain.
Impulse Control Issues: Eating that candy bar instead of the banana to instantly satisfy your hunger, or lashing out before you’ve discussed or thought about your reaction, are both impulsive behaviors related to lack of sleep.
Memory Issues: Exhaustion takes up a lot of brain power and leaves little room to pay attention to the day’s events. Your short term memories are also processing to your long term memory bank. Missing sleep can lead to forgetfulness, poor motor skills, emotional outbursts, anxiety, getting sick too often, and blurry vision.
Depression: Not enough sleep deprives you of so much, including your mood. You can become depressed when overly tired.
NATURAL WAY TO GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP THAT WORKS
For optimum wellness at bed time, try a soothing aromatherapy approach with therapeutic-grade essential oils. Essential oils help to relax your muscles and mind, prepping you for good sleep. They have been used for centuries effectively! Try the following:
1) Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to your evening bath, or inhale lavender from the bottle as you are preparing for sleep. You can also diffuse it in your bedroom.
2) Apply ZEN SUBLIME SLEEP essential oil blend topically, on the back of your neck, wrists and feet + inhale it deeply several times. If you have insomnia, also diffuse lavender beside your bed.
ZEN SUBLIME SLEEP smells very pleasant and soothing. It is made up of the following to help encourage restful sleep:
Organic Jojoba Oil and Sunflower as the "carrier oils" allowing it to be topically applied.
Lavender - Well known and most used essential oil for sleep assistance. Lavender calms, soothes and nurtures. It helps to balance the spirit, and reduces any existing anxiety. It also helps reduce pains which may hinder sleep.
Rose Geranium – fosters a sense of security and protects from disturbing energy or thoughts.
Orange – unblocks energy; found in clinical tests to be a sedative that calms, pushes down pessimism and is a tonic for mind and body.
Neroli – relaxes nerves, soothes the heart and psyche, and helps relieve pain.
Cedarwood – is very grounding, a tonic for the nervous system and is of course anti-inflammatory (like most of the oils in the blend.)
Clary Sage – well-known to reduce anxiety and stress. It works synergistically with lavender for sedation and calming effect.
CONSEQUENCES OF CONTINUAL SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Chronic sleep deprivation creates an increased risk of many different conditions and diseases including diabetes, depression, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, and being tired and angry won’t be solved by eating a candy bar. To avoid sleep deprivation, it is important to log consistent sleep habits and routines every night.
In addition to the aid of essential oils, don't use electronics in the evening and certainly not in the bedroom (reading those emails or looking at Facebook as you climb into bed will not help you to fall asleep), don't drink or eat stimulating products after 8 pm, and try to establish a routine of bed at about the same time every night. If you are light sensitive, darken your room well (not everyone is light sensitive). If you room is too warm, try cooling it at bedtime.