We all have tried someday to repent the lost sleep after night shifts or party weekends. Lesser do we realize that we can never recover a good night\u2019s sleep by sleeping during the day. We\u2019re hurting our normalized sleep schedule by doing so.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not possible to sleep for more than an hour or two when we\u2019re compensating for the sleep loss. Looking at the facts,\u00a0we need 4 nights to recover one hour of lost sleep<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Sleep hygiene is something that needs our attention, just like food hygiene & other critical lifestyle issues. It\u2019s because our mental health, immunity as well as physical health is regulated by our sleep hygiene itself.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look up some basics on sleep hygiene & the way it links to mental health.<\/p>\n What do you mean by sleep hygiene?<\/strong><\/p>\n Generally saying, sleep hygiene is all about the good habits that give you sound sleep during nighttime. What we know as sleep disorders only show up if your sleep hygiene is drastically affected. If you\u2019re consistently trying to maintain your sleep hygiene, but something keeps you from reaching your goals then it\u2019s mandatory to get a professional\u2019s help.<\/p>\n They may suggest working therapies as per your lifestyle or prescribe medicines like\u00a0Modalert<\/a>.<\/p>\n Common Terms related to Sleep Hygiene<\/strong><\/p>\n Sleep disorder:<\/strong>\u00a0A medical condition that is no less than an alarming situation for an individual who undergoes sleep disturbances.<\/p>\n Sleep debt:<\/strong>\u00a0It means the sleep deficiency that sums up when you aren\u2019t getting peaceful sleep for days in a row.<\/p>\n Sleep deprivation:<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019re sleep deprived if you feel sleepy, but cannot compensate for the sleep loss due to one or other reasons. This disturbs your entire sleep schedule & you suffer from a lack of focus, excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, etc.<\/p>\n Circadian rhythm:\u00a0<\/strong>It\u2019s your internal biological clock. Our circadian rhythm is responsible for regulating our sleep schedules, productivity, and more of our routine activities.<\/p>\n What affects our sleep quality?<\/strong><\/p>\n Several factors collectively influence our sleep quality including our physical behaviour, environment, diet, and nutrition, etc. If your sleep schedule is off-track, you\u2019ll likely lose balance with other routine tasks. You may feel a lack of confidence, constant tiredness, difficulty in staying focused, etc.<\/p>\n Opposite to this, if you\u2019re sleeping too much can also make you feel lethargic. The more you sleep, the more you\u2019ll feel sleepy again. It also snatches away your concentration abilities and activeness.<\/p>\n In short, your sleep hygiene should be well-maintained. Excess sleep or lack of sleep can put you in an unknown troubling situation.<\/p>\n The Effect of Sleep on Mental Health<\/strong><\/p>\n As discussed above, decreasing performance quality & consistent fatigue are experienced due to sleeplessness. But, these are not the only adversities you experience.<\/p>\n Sleep disruptions can alter your brain chemistry. This gives birth to some severe mental health disorders. Depression, anxiety, etc kick in and you don\u2019t even know whom to blame. Insomnia triggered by depression may overlap with sleep apnea & hypersomnia. They make your living difficult & intolerable at times.<\/p>\n