“So am I depressed?” George asked at the end of the first session.
“No, but you are definitely sleep deprived,” I replied.
If you don’t sleep well, many things, perhaps most things, go wrong. Studies show that sleep deprivation is rampant in America (more than a third of us), and its impact on our well-being is far-reaching and clearly negative. What’s behind our collective blurry eye condition? Noise and light pollution do the damage. An average of 7 hours of screen time per day is useless. Rushing sickness (which is also ubiquitous) exacerbates the problem. Basically, our brains are overstimulated for most of his day, and we find it difficult to turn them off at night.
Inability to get the wink you need is associated with an avalanche of bad consequences, including heart disease, accidents, impaired immune response, obesity, decreased productivity, depression, and anger. Every time I see a client who complains of agitation, I carefully examine their nighttime behavior. I need it. In fact, our bodies can go without more sleep than gray matter. This is a clear message from your brain that “this is not working”.
I have counseled many people who, after failing to treat their depression with medication or psychotherapy, discovered the underlying problem, or at least most of them, was sleep deprivation or inadequate sleep. For some people, just correcting it has proven to be enough to restore vitality. It helps lay the foundation for other approaches.
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know what you need
We all have sleep patterns now. It is a habitual way of preparing for sleep, transitioning to sleep, and experiencing sleep. Experts make generalizations about what constitutes health, but individuals vary greatly. For example, we often hear that the average adult needs eight hours of sleep each night, but the findings here are mixed and sometimes contradictory. Many of us aren’t average, so some people do fine in 6 hours or less, while others need more blind eye to stay functional. is important. The easiest way to understand this is to simply observe how many hours of sleep you get the night before a good day. This is the day you feel emotionally, physically, and cognitively on top of your game.
Of course, sleep quality is just as important as quantity, so a truly restful night should be studied for clues on how to improve your depth of rest. It can be greatly influenced by caffeine intake, bedtime activities, bedroom atmosphere, and relaxation habits such as reading, music, and meditation. our optimal sleep pattern.
The internet is full of prescriptions for better sleep (search for “sleep hygiene”). It’s important to research what works for you, but unfortunately trial and error may be your best bet. But here is the deal. If you don’t meet your own sleep requirements, everything you do and feel will go south.
Restful sleep is a sanctuary from the challenges and trials of our waking lives, a space where we can renew ourselves for the demands of the next day. Check presence and catch an important mental break. So our nights really make or break our days.
For more information, please visit philipchard.com.
