Sleep Deprivation Treatment
Do you feel deprived of sleep? Are you getting much less than your recommended hours of shut-eye each night or do you suffer from insomnia? If so you are not alone. It is estimated that around 30% of the population suffer from problems with their sleep each year. Which is why sleep deprivation treatment is so important.
A study by The Mental Health Foundation found that only 38% of the people they polled could be classified as good sleepers. Around 36% had chronic insomnia and 79% of those had it for at least two years. People with insomnia had lower energy levels and had difficulty concentrating. Clearly, there is a sleep epidemic which needs to be addressed.
This post may contain affiliate links which means that we get a commission if you choose to make a purchase through the link. This is at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure page for more information.
Sleep Deprivation Stages
Most of us can handle a bad night’s sleep but if the problem persists then it does start to impact our well-being. Here are some of the sleep deprivation stages that you may experience if you start to suffer from insomnia.
Firstly the obvious is that you become tired. Increased yawning and a need to desperately go to bed. Your attention span will also start to suffer and you may have trouble trying to focus on what you are doing. In fact, your concentration levels start to drop significantly. In addition, your mood can also change and if you suffer from depression or anxiety this can be heightened. Some people will experience problems even staying awake which can be dangerous and increase the likelihood of accidents. Finally, when you have not been to bed for a longer period of time it is possible to start hallucinating or to experience paranoia.
Lack of Sleep and Hallucinations
It is well known that if you have been unable to sleep for a few nights then it is possible that you may experience hallucinations. These make you believe that you are seeing something that isn’t really there. These hallucinations should be temporary and once you are sleeping normally again they should disappear. Students may experience them if they have been staying up too much to try and study. Or a period of stress could be preventing you from getting a good nights sleep and they could occur. If you do start to experience this then your body is telling you that you need to switch off and relax. If you are unable to do this then visiting a doctor to get some help may be incredibly important and help you rule out a medical reason for the hallucinations.
Sleep Deprivation Death
It is highly unlikely that you will die directly from suffering insomnia. Studies have shown that even when you have been awake for a long period of time parts of the brain are still able to shut off to give you some rest even though this is far from ideal. You may, however, have an indirect problem.
As an example, you are more likely to suffer from accidents whether in the car, at home or at work if you have not had enough sleep. Our judgement and reflexes are impaired when we don’t get a good night’s rest which can be fatal in certain circumstances. If you have been suffering from a bout of insomnia it makes sense not to do any activity that might put you in jeopardy such as using dangerous equipment.
Get Our FREE 5 Step Formula to End Anxiety
Sleep Deprivation Causes
What exactly is causing sleep deprivation in so many people? Well, firstly we have to look at people who are deliberately creating problems as opposed to those who suffer from insomnia.
If you choose to work late every day, stay up playing computer games into the early hours and try and survive on a few hours sleep them your lifestyle is creating the problem. With lifestyle issues, it all comes down to choices. Do you want to function better or are you happy feeling permanently tired because of your activities? In these cases, some simple adjustments would alter problems with sleep.
Then there are other issues that can be creating problems with sleep such as:
- Shift Work
- Illnesses and Medical Problems
- Drugs and Alcohol
- Depression
- Anxiety and Stress
- Poor Sleep Hygiene
- Noise
- Young Children
Not every problem with sleep deprivation is always easily solvable. If you have a young baby or child then you know it is likely that you are going to get a disturbed nights sleep. Juggling the demands of a young child with friends and family may help you to find some time to get some rest yourself but it will not always be easy until they are older. In other cases, it is possible to get the mind to switch off to sleep even if you have one of the problems outlined above.
Stress and anxiety, for example, can cause sleepless nights but with deep relaxation methods, it is possible to switch off the mind so that you can drift off to sleep.
A very simple and easy stress management tool and sleep deprivation treatment is a guided meditation for relaxation. All our clients use this to help them learn to relax. With repeated use, it can help to quieten the mind and increase levels of calm. You can purchase the copy we use in our clinics in the online store.
Self-Help for Sleep Problems
In the vast majority of cases, it is relatively simple to resolve problems with insomnia even if there are other issues creating a problem. As an example sleep apnea can make it difficult to get a good nights sleep especially if the person with the problem is using a CPAP machine. The noise and the need to have a mask over your face seems disruptive and distracting but with a self-hypnosis audio download the mind can switch off and suddenly the machine that was bothering you is forgotten about.
Self-hypnosis is a natural way of helping the brain to tune out its surroundings so that your mind can switch off. we use guided meditation for sleep with clients suffering from everything from tinnitus to the aftermath of an operation or physical illness.
In addition to helping out clients with audio downloads, there are some really simple steps you can take to help yourself.
Natural Sleep Deprivation Treatments
Sleep hygiene is always a good place to start when dealing with sleep problems. With some simple tweaks to your routine and environment, big changes can be made to the quantity and quality of your sleep.
Firstly you need to look at what you are doing in the lead up to your bedtime. If you are planning on working and answering emails, taking phone calls and generally keep your brain active you are going to have a problem. As a general rule of thumb, all these activities should be finished at least 2 to 3 hours before you go to bed. In the few hours before you go to bed then you need to think of ways to quieten your mind rather than activating it. Reading a book is a great way to switch your mind off before bed.
Next look at every electronic item you have and resolve not to touch it in those hours leading up to sleep. This means no emailing, using social media, using your computer or playing electronic games. Blue light from many electronic products such as mobile phones or pads can disrupt your sleep patterns. Do everything you need to do on these earlier on in the day.
When you do think about bed make sure that you are going to bed later rather than earlier. Going to bed at 8 or 9 pm as an adult is a great way of ruining your sleep. Even though you think you are tired you generally are not and can spend the night lying awake. Make sure you shift your sleep to later on in the evening such as 11 or 12 pm if you are suffering from insomnia. In addition, pick a time to wake up such as 7 am and stick with this as a routine. Lie ins and disruptive sleep patterns over the weekend can create a problem.
Listen to a self-hypnosis download when you first put your head to your pillow. This helps to switch off any thoughts that might be whirling around your brain. Usually, this sleep deprivation routine will be sufficient to help your mind relax sufficiently so that you get a good nights sleep.
Online Therapy for Sleep
If you are still having problems even though you have tried the sleep routine and listened to a hypnosis download then the next step is either seeing your doctor or attending therapy sessions to see if they can help. Hypnosis for sleep and CBT are both known to help because they tackle any underlying issues with sleep problems. There are also a number of natural sleep gadgets that you can try to help.
If you are suffering from anxiety and that is keeping you awake at night then working through the problem is going to be incredibly helpful. Sleep deprivation treatment involving therapy is going to be much more useful for longer-term insomnia issues. Sleep hypnosis, in particular, is very efficient at discovering what is going on in your subconscious mind to keep you awake. It may not just be your current stressors that are causing a problem but things from the past that are also on your mind.
During our sleep therapy sessions discovering the root cause is incredibly important as it can resolve long-standing issues not only with sleep but with anxiety, stress and depression as well. To get more information about our sleep programs just fill out the form below to arrange your sleep deprivation treatment.
You Might Also Want to Read:
Hypnosis for Sleep The Ultimate Guide
The Best Sleep Sprays to Help You Relax
Blue Light Blocking Glasses for Sleep
*This site is owned and operated by rewirethemind.com. Rewirethemind.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Hypnosis to Forget a Memory - June 2, 2023
- 81 Good Vibes Quotes to Spread Positivity - June 1, 2023
- 50 Positive Trading Affirmations To Create a Success Mindset - June 1, 2023
