Depending on age, most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Teenagers need about 9.5 and infants need almost 16 hours a day! The quality of our sleep may be depleted by the following issues:
- Insomnia - which is when it is difficult to get to sleep or you continually wake up and can not get back to sleep.
- Obstructive sleep apnoea - which is when you stop breathing whilst you are asleep for periods of time.
- Restless legs syndrome, a condition which causes multiple movements of our legs meaning that we cannot find comfort and therefore stay awake.
- Bad dreams, nightmares, sleep walking and other emotional feelings caused by depression or stress.
- Restless sleep from temperature changes during the night.
- Poor prostate which causes us to urinate frequently during the night.
- Bladder problems.
- Hypertension related to stress in our daily lives and the ability to relax before bed time.
If these things are causing you some angst then you need to consider seeing a physician to find out how to manage the causes of your sleeping problems as the long term affects on your life and lifestyle can be enormous. Sleeping problems can affect both your professional and private life if left unchecked.
Cat Naps
Whilst there are varying opinions on the benefit of cat naps, if you are not getting enough sleep during the night, consider having a cap nap during the day. Cat naps are considered to be excellent re-charge sleeps that help us get through a long day.
Meditation
We always recommend meditation. A proven technique, meditation helps lower our stress levels and gives us more adaptation energy to relax to the changing pace of our lives through each day. One thing that many businessmen complain about with relation to sleep is the idea of switching off between day time activity and night time rest. We thoroughly recommend trying meditation as a way to break up the day between professional life and home life. http://doublebaymeditation.blogspot.com/
Yoga
Yoga can be a great way to stretch, relax and unwind the physical stresses of the working day. To find out more about yoga, click here http://www.yogaindailylife.org.au/
Yoga
Yoga can be a great way to stretch, relax and unwind the physical stresses of the working day. To find out more about yoga, click here http://www.yogaindailylife.org.au/
Some of the other issues that could be causing sleep problems are:
- Not enough exercise
- Pain from injury
- Snoring
- Smoking cigarettes and the bodies cravings for nicotine.
- Using recreational drugs
- Changing time zones on a regular basis
- Uncomfortable sleeping conditions including the temperature of the room, style of bed and lack of fresh air
The best thing you can do is sit down and write a list of what things are causing you stress, what things may cause you discomfort during your sleep and what kinds of activities you are doing before and after you get up in the morning. By making a list we can identify what may be causing the problem and focus upon a solution. Sometimes it is simply a matter of having a comfortable routine before bed which will make all the difference to creating a relaxed environment for sleep. In other cases it may simply be a case of find a source for fresh air and the right kind of pillows to support our body.
If none of these things help, consult your physician or else contact the Australasian Sleep Association www.sleep.org.au or else Sleep Disorders Australia on www.sleepoz.org.au
