Balanced: The Effects of Sleep Deprivation

I'm staring at a blinking cursor about 16 hours before this post will go live. I'm blinking almost as much as the cursor and I'm cursing as much as I'm blinking. (Got that all?) I had a busy weekend that was crammed between a busy last week and a busy this week; I didn't get enough sleep and I'm paying the price now.

One wouldn't think that something as simple as shutting your eyes, letting your brain and body relax and falling into a dreamless slumber would be as beneficial as it is, but go a few days without your regular amount of sleep and you'll realize how fabulous a good night's rest is. One might not also realize the dangers that lie in not getting enough sleep.

• lack of concentration
• memory loss
• diabetes
• earlier death
• heart disease
• cancers
• impaired driving ability
• increased risk of illness
• weight gain
• depression and anxiety

With 50-70 million Americans with chronic sleep problems and 30 million with chronic insomnia (*raises hand* Hi, I'm Sarah and I'm part of the 30 million!), sleep research is a lucrative yet relatively untapped public health market. What can you do to help yourself get the right amount of sleep? Wait; what is the "right" amount of sleep? Though experts say between six and eight hours; it is unique for each person. The best way to figure out your average is to go to bed when you're tired and wake up naturally without an alarm clock.

1. Keep a regular sleep schedule--go to bed and wake up the same time every day of the week (and weekend)
2. Develop a bedtime "ritual" to let your body know that you're going to bed
3. Avoid caffeine after lunchtime
4. Sleep in clothing you're comfortable in (for some people, this means no clothing at all!)
5. Sleep in a dark and quiet room and use white noise (a fan, air purifier or other white noise machine) if needed
6. Keep your bed a sanctuary:  Don't do anything but sleep and have sex in your bed (experts even recommend not watching television in bed, but reading instead...)
7. Talk to your physician if your sleeplessness gets in the way of your everyday life

Though it's hard, being sure that you get enough sleep is, just like washing your hands, an easy (and free!) way to help your body stay healthy.

When she's not writing for Savings.com, Sarah teaches health and science to high schoolers. You can also find Sarah at WEGO Health, where she is an advocate of improved health conditions for women and children of both the United States and globally and on her personal blog, Sarahndipitea.