Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Is Sleep Loss Making You Sick?

In today's fast paced world, more and more people are getting by on less and less sleep - much to the detriment of their health, their mental and emotional well-being, and their work productivity. 

One of the symptoms of sleep loss is impaired judgment - especially about sleep! 

Yes, you DO need 7 or 8 hours, so don't consider it a badge of honor to get by with 5 or 6 - or even less. 

Along with impairing judgment, lack of sleep impairs attention, concentration, reasoning, memory, and problem solving. That means those extra hours you spend working instead of sleeping aren't making you more productive. In fact, the opposite is true. 

Over time, lack of sleep can lead to depression and anxiety, which leads to insomnia, and even greater lack of sleep. It's a downward spiral that can lead to even more problems - such as increased risk of death from :
  • heart disease
  • heart attack
  • heart failure
  • high blood pressure
  • stroke
  • diabetes
Although less serious, lack of sleep also ages your skin, causing puffy eyes, fine lines, dark circles, and sallow skin. This is because lack of sleep causes excess release of the stress hormone cortisol. 

Cortisol breaks down skin collagen, which is a protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic. 

At the same time it causes the body to release too little human growth hormone, which works to regenerate and repair our tissues.  

Sleeplessness is a public health hazard as well

The National High Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 1,550 crash-related deaths each year are the direct cause of driving under the influence of sleep loss. This is just a fraction of the 100,000 crashes from this cause. 

Sleepiness also leads to job injuries, and accidents with world-wide consequences. It was a factor in the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, and the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. 

Are YOU sleep deprived? 

If so, it's time to change your habits, and FeelBach! can help.
 
Because there are a variety of reasons why you're missing sleep, we've created four different flower
essences formulas to help you get back into better sleep habits. 

Sweet Dreams #1 is for those who can't seem to release the day, but instead lay awake worrying about what did and didn't get done, and what needs to be done tomorrow.

Sweet Dreams #2 is for those whose minds just won't shut off, or who are awakened by every little sound in the house, or who are worried about getting up on time. 

Sweet Dreams #3 releases the fears and regrets that keep you awake.

Sweet Dreams #4 is for those who wake up too early, eager to get on with the day and stop wasting time. 

To read more about each of these formulas and choose which is the right one for you, visit the FeelBach! Sweet Dreams page

Images courtesy of David Castillo dominici|freegititalphotos.com