Q And A Forum: To Sleep Or To Stay Awake

Why we sleep

Why we need sleep

Why we need to sleep

Why sleep

How we sleep

Where we sleep

When we sleep

These are seven important issues that arose out of the 45,000 counseling questions and answers we have fielded from our clients up to 2019. 

We gave the tips but still felt writing this short vignette would help. We came across a Harvard article on sleep and realised it summed up whatever we would tell you.

Sleep or sleeplessness are two things that could be used as triggers to let you know about yourself. 

You make frequent trips to the bathrooms at night? Well, it could be that your drinking and eating habits need to be timed such that too much fluids are not lost out of your body. Or it could be because of your salt or processed food ingestion. Or, it could be you need to go talk to your doctor. When is the last time you talked to your doctor about how you sleep? Well, go talk to her or him or they.

You may be suffering from what is known as restless legs syndrome! Yes! There is such a syndrome. That could be why you do not sleep.

When reading that fav book in bed. Does your light come from the back or above? That back light is a no-no!

According to the Harvard experts:

“Get the sound sleep your body needs!

Do you feel like you struggle half the night just to get a few hours of shuteye, and then wake up feeling exhausted? You're not alone. An estimated 50-70 million Americans have some type of sleep disorder. And it’s not just frustrating — not getting enough sleep can have serious consequences for your health. There’s no reason to miss out on a great night’s sleep. The experts at Harvard Medical School have created Improving Sleep: A guide to a good night’s rest, a Special Health Report that brings you the latest research on the science of sleep, plus the information you need to fall asleep faster, stay asleep all night, and wake up feeling refreshed.

Getting enough sleep is as important for your body as eating right, exercising, and practicing good dental hygiene. That’s because lack of sleep not only makes it harder for you to get through the day, it is also linked to all kinds of health problems — from diabetes to increasing blood pressure to weight gain and increased risk for a heart attack. Inadequate sleep even makes it more likely that you'll catch a cold.

To help you get the rest you need, Harvard Medical School experts created Improving Sleep: A guide to a good night’s rest. This fascinating report reveals:

How the different stages of sleep help your body

Proven ways to fight insomnia
Health problems that may be making it tough to sleep
The type of sleep that helps restore alertness
The best treatments for snoring and sleep apnea
How to wake up feeling refreshed
And more

You need to discover how to sleep better to lower your risk of health problems, plus learn important facts about sleep, such as:

The best treatment for insomnia — no medication needed
The hormone that naturally induces drowsiness
The sleep stage when your mind puts memories into long-term storage
Home-based tests that can help determine if you have sleep apnea (much less stressful than hospital testing)
Why dropping just a little weight can help you stop snoring
Practical tips for sounder sleep — that explains:

Why you should never exercise within two hours of bedtime
When you need a nap — and when it’s a bad idea

Why reading from a backlit electronic device at night is a no-no
Comforting bedtime rituals that can help lull you to sleep.”

All the best!