So, guess what?! This thing that accounts for about one third of our life; this thing called sleep – ends up its actually quite important to our general health and happiness. Who would have figured it could be so important?
Actually, an endless supply of doctors and caring mothers had it figured out for decades, if not centuries, and have been talking about it too. So, why haven’t we listened?
If you are like too many of us, come evening time you finally feel you can relax from the day’s stresses. And, instead of giving your body and brain the bedtime rejuvenation you should, you do things like pick up your favorite magazine, or a great novel. Maybe its your favorite TV shows or updating your blog and checking out what’s for sale on ebay. Seems we just don’t have enough hours in the day to meet all the demands on our time.
Whatever it is, it’s costing us. Prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to, get this, aching muscles, confusion, memory lapses or loss, depression, hallucinations, hand tremors, headaches, malaise, sensitivity to cold, bloodshot eyes, increased blood pressure, increased stress hormone levels, increased risk of diabetes and fibromyalgia, irritability, obesity, temper tantrums in kids, and symptoms similar to ADHD and psychosis.
Let’s assume that we’ve mended our ways and now put in our dutiful hours in bed. The truth is that while some of us are doing our best to sleep, we aren’t actually being very successful. And it may be because of undiagnosed sleep disorders. If, for example, after a typical night’s sleep you don’t feel restored and refreshed and still sleepy during the day, you may have a sleep disorder. You might think it’s just normal, just the way you always feel. But the truth is there may be something you can do about it.
Thanks to sleep labs, like the one at Brigham City Community Hospital, what happens while we lie in bed can be watched, reported, and analyzed. Essentially, the quality and quantity of your sleep is measured. And then solutions can be found.
Sleep labs consist of a private bedroom with simple non-invasive monitoring equipment used to track your brain, muscle, heart and breathing activity during sleep. Your airflow and oxygen levels are also watched along with your sleeping position.
With the comprehensive evaluation that follows your sleep study, effective solutions can be found to help you not only be in bed for your 8 hours, but actually get restful and rejuvenating sleep.
Consult with your family doctor to see if he recommends a sleep study to find out if you have a sleep disorder.