Prescription Sleeping Pills – are they necessary?
You have probably experienced mild sleep deprivation at one time or another. There have been times when you have not had enough sleep – it happens to everyone. But it has proven that sleep deprivation can be a serious problem. It can lead to a host of different illnesses, including some cancers. There are both physical as well as psychological effects of sleep deprivation.
Prescription Sleeping Pills – Which Types to Choose
Sleep Deprivations Studies
Sleep deprivation research have been conducted on those who have suffered these deprivations on a habitual basis. Many of them have been college students who have purposely prevented themselves from sleeping so that they could study for exams.
In college, lack of sleep is common around the end of terms, but studies are indicating that it is a lot more harmless than just getting a few dark circles under the eyes. There have been indications that students who have routinely deprived themselves of sleep have experienced a host of problems, including episodes of psychosis.
Physical Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Physical effects of sleep deprivation are often clear. A person who is deprived of sleep feels tired, woozy, and uneasy most of the time. They may have dark circles under their eyes. These are the classic physical signs of sleep deprivation of which we have become accustomed.
Still, more serious physical consequences to sleep deprivation are spreaded out than just the idea of someone appearing to be tired. Diabetes, depression, and even cancers are serious diseases can be the results from lack of sleep as studies indicated. This is due to the disturbance in the hormones that take place when the body does not sleep.
Obesity and Sleep Deprivation
Obesity is a common side effect of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation seem to go hand in hand with obesity as many studies indicate that not only does lack of sleep lead to obesity due to hormone imbalance created, but that obesity can also influence sleep habits.
Someone who is obese has more of a chance of getting sleep apnea, a sleeping disorder that causes the individual to awaken several times during the night and is often characterized by snoring.
Sleep Deprivation While Driving
Other physical effects of sleep deprivation include a delayed reaction time. Someone who is tired and not getting enough sleep will not have the same reaction time as someone who is fully rested. A lack of sleep, therefore, can prove to be harmful especially if someone is driving a car or operating heavy machinery.
Thousands of accidents, many of them fatal, occur each year due to sleep deprivation and a lack of sufficient reaction time. Sleep deprivation while driving occurs more frequently than people think.
Accidents involving truckers who have fallen asleep when driving due to sleep deprivation and driving occur all over the United States. Truck drivers, under pressure to get a delivery to a destination within a certain amount of time, will often self deprive themselves of sleep. They take artificial stimulation so that they can stay awake to concentrate at the wheel for longer period of time.
Since this is illegal and dangerous, some trucking companies are finding for the other way when it comes to their drivers taking on more than one shift.
Signs of Sleep Deprivation
In addition to those obvious signs of sleep deprivation someone who is deprived of sleep may also be irritable and appear nervous. Their hands may shiver due to an imbalance in the central nervous system that happens because of not getting enough sleep.
Sleep deprivation is not only harmful when it comes to driving, operating heavy machinery or working, but can also lead to a host of physical problems due to the hormonal imbalance that is created when the body is deprived of sleep.
Make sure that you are getting enough sleep. Study your sleeping habits. You can do your own sleep tracking study, or you can seek out this type of study at a clinical environment if you feel that you are suffering from serious sleep deprivation.
