We have all experienced a night of tossing and turning, ending up sleepy and cranky the next day!!!
Missing out on the recommended sleep of 7-9hours per sleep will leave you feeling groggy, you might even have trouble thinking and concentrating. This is sleep deprivation.
What actually causes sleep deprivation?
- Illness – Illness such as colds, coughs, sore throats can cause snoring, gagging and frequent waking which directly impacts your sleep.
- Stress – The stress of daily life or the inability to switch off at night will disturb your sleep. You might wake up feeling like you haven’t really slept, fall asleep late and then in turn not be able to wake up in the morning on time.
- Sleep Disorder – Sleep Apnea, snoring and periodic limb movement disorder all affect your sleep.
- Work – The type of job you do can impact your quality of sleep. Jobs that have shifts or frequent travel can disrupt the sleeping pattern, such as airline crew or nurses.
- Medications – Some medications should not be taken at night as they can cause you to stay awake.
- Sleeping Environment – If your room is too hot or cold, having noisy neighbours or even a partner that snores, all can disrupt your sleep.
- Poor sleep hygiene – Drinking coffee before bedtime can stimulate the nervous system and make you sleepless.
- Babies – Parents mostly suffer from sleep deprivation as their babies wake frequently during the night for feeding or comfort.
Symptoms of sleep deprivation
- Yawning constantly
- Poor concentration / moodiness
- Grogginess all day long
- Mood swings
- Daytime naps
Remember, getting enough sleep for your age is cruical, on how you function the following day!!!
So, how many hours sleep should we be getting according to our age?
- Newborns (0 to 3 months): 14 to 17 hours each day
- Infants (4 to 11 months): 12 to 15 hours
- Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours
- Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours
- School-age children (6 to 13 years): 9 to 11 hours
- Teenagers (14 to 17 years): 8 to 10 hours
- Adults (18 to 64 years): 7 to 9 hours
- Older adults (over 65 years): 7 to 8 hours
