The idea is to sleep like a baby :-)

I haven't been feeling well lately, perhaps for lack of sleep. I have been at my late uncle's wake and it was difficult to find sleep when there's too many people moving around. Yes. Even when you are in the privacy of a room. Good that was a temporary thing. But what happens when it becomes an insomnia-filled ritual?

Fact is sleep is as important as food, air and water to us human beings. Being constantly away makes us a different person altogether and we become accident prone. So how do we know if we lack sleep?

Do you experience any (or most) of the following?
1.
Do you constantly yawn?
2. Do you have the tendency to doze off esp
ecially when inactive like when watching television?
3 Do you feel groggy as s
oon as waking up in the morning?
4. Are you sluggish all day long (sleep inertia)
5. How's your concentration? Mood swings? More irritable, than usual?

How do we get to the point of lacking sleep?
1. By staying late, drinking, partying or perhaps working (call center jobs)
2. When contracting an illness like a nose or throat infection causing to snore, gag resulting to constant wakefulness.
3. Sleep disorders like sleep apnea, snoring and periodic limb movement disorders can disturb and disturb a person’s sleep during the night.
4. Some medications used to treat ailments like epilepsy or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), urinary tract infections, can cause insomnia.
5. The physical environment can disrupt sleep. It could be too hot or too cold or too humid or maybe noisy neighbors, machines operating during sleeping hours or a snoring bedmate.
6. Bad sleeping habits to start with like drinking coffee, smoking, or eating way past bedtime. This also includes unnecessary worrying instead of taking it slow and relaxing.

What does lack of sleep bring out?
1. Impairs performance.
2. Reduced alertness.
3. Shortened attention span.
4. Slower reaction time.
5. Poor judgement.
6. Reduced awareness of the environment.
7. Reduced decision-making skills.
8. Slower memory or recall.
9. Reduced amount of concentration.
10.Mental slow-down.
11.Moodiness and bad temper.
12. Reduced work efficiency.
13. Motivational loss.

I suggest the following to improve your sleep habits:
1. Deliberately go to bed early every night
2. Never smoke or drink alcoholic or caffeinated drinks a few hours before bedtime.
3. Try to improve sleeping situation whenever possible. Why not wear earplugs for a noisy neighborhood?
4. Utilize relaxation techniques to bring sleep immediately. Try meditation and reflection. Think only of positive things. Imagine happy moments.
5. Seek professional help for disorders like apnea, insomnia, etc.

Happy Sleeping everyone!

Note: Thanks to respective cartoon owners.

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