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Sleep Deprivation: How It Affects Your Daily Life and What to Do About It

Sleep is essential to your body, and a lack of it can cause health issues. For this reason, being sleep deprived is a big deal for your body. This post will help you understand the effects of sleep deprivation. Reading this article will let you know how it affects the body and some ways to address sleep deprivation. Don’t let the lack of sleep ruin your health condition.

Various factors can deprive you of a good quality of sleep. That can include poor sleep hygiene, lifestyle choices, work obligations, sleep disorders, and other potential conditions concerning your health. Given these points, you have to address them instead of cope with it. Here are the effects of sleep deprivation on your body.

Various Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Lack of sleep may not seem a big deal, but that is not the case at all. Little did you know that losing sleep can cause a wide range of adverse effects. Aside from that, it can take a toll on different aspects of your body and mind. Below are some effects of lacking sleep:

You experience a change in energy.

In this case, you often feel tired and lethargic, which means you lack the strength to move and perform your duties. That includes when you are at work, home, or school. Moreover, you crave something sweet, caffeine, or naps the whole day.

Lack of sleep can incur mental health problems.

Losing the right amount of sleep leads to mood swings and irritability. Aside from that, you find it hard to deal with and manage stress. As a result, you can become depressed or anxious. The conditions can also worsen, resulting in extreme cases like hallucinations and delirium.

It weakens your immune system.

Your body will find it difficult to defend itself against diseases due to a weak immune system. Lack of sleep can deteriorate it, making you more prone to colds, infections, and many more.

Your brain can become impaired.

The lack of sleep can also have an impact on your brain. Your brain will have reduced creativity and problem-solving skills. Also, it can affect your motor skills, making you at risk for accidents.

Your appearance may change due to a lack of sleep.

It can result in premature skin aging and weight gain. Furthermore, it can also result in acne breakouts. In this case, you can use herbal soap for acne to help clear your skin while addressing your sleep deprivation.

Lack of sleep can increase your risk of developing serious health issues.

Since your immune system is weak, you become vulnerable to many diseases. Some of them are stroke, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain cancers.

These effects are only a few of what you can acquire if you continue losing the amount of sleep you need. What’s worse is that your conditions can worsen over time. Given this point, it is best to address it if you have sleep deprivation.

Ways to Address Sleep Deprivation

You can get yourself out of this sleep problem, and you only have to make a few changes in your lifestyle habits. Below are some ways to put your sleep back on track:

- You should create a bedtime routine and follow a consistent sleep schedule. It is best to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
- You also need to set boundaries in your work and social life. Let them know you prioritize sleep, and you preserve the full time of rest you need every night.
- Manage your stress, and you can see positive effects. Learn how to handle stress healthily to improve your sleep at night.
- Reduce overthinking and calm your anxious mind. To solve this problem, avoid screens, work, and stressful conversations before bedtime.
- Do regular exercises to improve your mood and ease various symptoms of sleeping disorders.
- Avoid caffeine intake four to six hours before bedtime. It is best to watch what you eat because it can disrupt your sleep at night.
- Make your room a comfortable place and easy to fall asleep. Your sleeping environment is a factor you need to improve.
- Seek professional help if you think your sleep disorder is a result of a medical issue. Doctors will provide you with a different way to address the cause.

You have found out how sleep deprivation can affect you. It has various effects that can put your health at risk. On the other hand, this post also shared how to address the condition. The bottom line here is you should not lack the amount of sleep. This way, you can also secure your overall health and prevent the adverse effects of sleep deprivation

Coping with Anxiety During the Holidays

The holidays are supposed to be an exciting time of the year. For most, it’s a time of celebration, reunions with family and friends, and making memories. However, for some, it’s a season of heightened anxiety and depression. This time of year can come with an array of demands, including unrealistic expectations, financial stress, and high amounts of socialization. Although many find the holidays overwhelming and stressful, those with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder may find this time of year triggering.

Understanding your worries can help you prepare and cope with the season. Here are a few tips to help you manage your anxiety during the holidays:

Don’t Abandon Healthy Habits

- Don’t forget to be kind to yourself during the holiday season. This time of year, it can be easy to forget about your self-care needs. Taking care of yourself by being physically active, eating properly, and sleeping well can improve your overall well-being.

- Schedule a time during the day to unwind. While you may feel like you must be on the go constantly to be productive, allowing yourself to relax can help you calm down and accomplish more throughout the day.

- Find time to do things you enjoy such as take a walk, read a book, or practice yoga.

Organize Your Finances

- Gift-giving can take up a lot of time, money, and energy. Creating a budget can help minimize stress by reducing surprise spending. Try making homemade gifts or suggest a gift exchange to help lower expenses.

- Utilizing credit card reward points during the holidays is an easy way to get cashback on your purchases or travel expenses. The best credit cards can earn you up to 2X rewards on your holiday shopping.

- With the holidays requiring a lot of spending, looking into the cost to refinance your home can be an option to reduce your monthly spending. Taking advantage of the record low mortgage rates can help you ease your financial stress by having more money to put towards high-interest credit card bills or save up for home improvements you’ve been hoping to accomplish.

Use Your Support System

- Between shopping and many social gatherings, remember it’s okay to ask for help. Saying no in situations where you may feel overbooked is okay. Friends and colleagues will understand if you’re unable to attend every event.

- Understanding your stressors and talking through them with a loved one can help you sort through your thoughts. Writing your feelings down in a journal may help you prioritize your problems and concerns.

- If you’re feeling lonely or stressed, try reaching out to friends, family, or professional help. There are many support groups you can reach out to that can help you get through difficult times.

Have an Anxiety Plan of Action

- You want to hope for the best, but also plan for the worst. Having a plan of action when your anxiety does arise can help calm your “what-if” worries.

- Determine how you will respond to your growing anxiety.

- Practice deep breathing, remove yourself from busy gatherings, or have a signal to give a loved one to notify them of your heightened anxiety.

Many feel stressed over the holidays. If your anxiety starts to take a toll on your overall well-being, it might be worthwhile to reach out for support. Remember to not overdo yourself and be realistic with your expectations. When battling anxiety, make sure to set aside plenty of time to focus on yourself too, during and after, the busy holidays.

How to Put Your Mental Health First When Life Gets Unexpected

Life has a habit of surprising us and even when things are floating along nicely, there’s always a chance of a bolt from the blue upsetting our mental health. The unpredictability of life is what makes our existence precious and exciting, but not knowing what the future holds can also trigger anxiety. When a curve ball does come out of nowhere, how do you react?

Many of us switch to autopilot, but our responses and instincts aren’t always beneficial for our mental health and well being. If you’re going through a tough time, here’s a guide to some of the most common causes of stress and distress and some tips to help you put your mental health first.

Put Your Mental Health First — *This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate and/or paid links which means that if you click on one of these links and buy a product, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Rest assured that I only recommend products that I love from companies that I trust.

Relationship breakdowns

The relationships we have with other people can make or break us. Being with a single person or having a group of friends can make us feel ecstatically happy, but there’s also a risk of coming into contact with people who don’t have a positive influence. At some point, the majority of people will decide to break up with a partner or let a friendship slip away because that relationship isn’t making them happy.

Spending time with friends and your partner should lift you up, make you feel safe, secure, content and give you hope for the future. If you question your own worth at any point, feel like you can’t be yourself around another person or wake up every morning wondering if you’re making the right decision, it’s time to re-evaluate your relationships.

If you’ve been with a partner for a long time, you’re married or you have children together, it can be incredibly tough to make the decision to separate. You probably envisioned spending the rest of your lives together and the thought of being alone is scary.

If you have decided to break up with a long-term partner, and there are legalities involved, make sure you get the advice and support you need from a legal firm that specializes in family law. It’s very common to have questions about the processes that are involved. An experienced legal team will fight in your corner and give you the information you need to understand what the next few months will entail and what rights you have.

In addition to seeking professional advice, it’s also critical to take advantage of emotional support. At this time, you might be hurting and feeling very low. Reach out to close friends and family members, talk to a therapist or a charity helpline if you’d rather speak to somebody you don’t know. Remember to take good care of yourself. Spend time with people you trust that make you feel good about yourself. There is no universal guide to healing after a breakup, so don’t put pressure on yourself or compare yourself to others.

Loss

The loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult hurdles human beings have to overcome. We spend our lives building families and groups of friends and to lose somebody that you love can cause immeasurable pain. One important thing to remember when you’re dealing with bereavement is that everyone is different. People cope with grief in very different ways and there is no cookie-cutter mold that you have to fit into.

In the early days, it’s common to feel numb and to try and fill your time, often doing tasks that really don’t need to be done. Most of us like to try and keep busy purely so that our minds aren’t occupied by thoughts of that person and feelings of sadness and despair.

When you feel able to open up, talking is hugely beneficial. It can be dangerous to keep your emotions bottled up. Don’t be afraid to cry and don’t feel that you have to be strong for others. You might not want to sob in front of your kids, but make sure you have an outlet for your feelings. If this means going to the bathroom for 5 minutes to take time out or making a call to a friend so that you can let it all out, this is what you should do.

Coronavirus and Postpartum Depression: Are you at Risk? — .

They say that time is a healer and to some extent, it is. The problem is that time can also make others forget. When you first lose a loved one, you may find that you’re inundated with flowers, cards, and messages. As time passes, the texts and calls to see how you are dry up as people get on with their lives. This can be very difficult to take.

To help you cope and to make the grieving process more tolerable, don’t be afraid to lean on others and to seek advice. Many people find it helpful to go to group support sessions and to talk to a counselor about their feelings. You might also find that creative activities enable you to express your emotions. Exercise, especially activities that are designed to clear your mind and promote relaxation like yoga, help you sleep if you’re struggling with insomnia.

Unemployment and money worries

If you lose your job or you’re worried about debt, money problems can consume you and contribute to intense anxiety. If you’re trying to raise kids, run a household and keep a roof over your head, it can be very difficult to tackle debt, especially if you’ve lost your job. If money worries are getting you down, and you’re facing an uncertain future, for which you weren’t prepared, there is help out there.

Often, when bad news comes out of the blue, the easiest path to take is to bury your head in the sand and hope that everything blows over. In reality, the longer you ignore debt, the more serious the situation becomes. If you’re unemployed, money issues may be temporary, and finding another job could provide a solution.

If the scenario is more grave, the sooner you seek professional advice, the better. You don’t want to be panicking every time your phone rings or there’s a knock at the door. If you’re chasing your tail and can’t pay your bills, a financial adviser or a debt charity can help you out. There are paths you can take and there may be simple solutions that could save you a huge amount of stress.

Anxiety can really take its toll on your physical health, as well as your mental well being. If you are anxious all the time, and you’re finding it tough to relax and stay calm, there are self-help techniques you can try. It’s also beneficial to talk about how you feel and to ask for help. Often, we make assumptions that people won’t want to be burdened by our issues but that’s usually not the case. You might find that your family and friends are more than willing to support you.

Life is never plain sailing, and most of us have to deal with challenges and obstacles that seem to come from nowhere. If you’re going through a tough time your health might suffer, and this is why it’s crucial to try and look after yourself as best you can. Focus on getting through each day, maintain a positive mindset and accept that some days will be harder than others.