Sunday, June 04, 2017

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Relationships


Sleep deprivation is a common occurrence in today’s fast paced culture of get it all done today! This pressure can make us extend our work day leaving us with less time to sleep. Studies have proven that 95% of human beings need to get anywhere from six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Sleep is needed to regenerate our body and brain to function optimally. After an extended period of time of juggling work-time and personal time on minimal sleep, you will see a strain on your personal and professional relationships.

Sleep deprivation

Being sleep deprived makes a difficult day seem even worse. There’s no energy to complete the mountain of tasks waiting for you. Without appropriate rest your neurons may begin to malfunction making you feel depressed, irritable, and more sensitive to stress. Physically you may notice headaches, muscle aches, memory lapses, and increased blood pressure.

A new study completed by the University of Pittsburg School of Medicine reports that sleeplessness can also affect marital relationships. This seems to be a bigger concern for women than for men. Dr. Wendy Troxel the study’s lead researcher explains,” the findings suggest a wife’s prolonged inability to sleep predicts her own and her husband’s marital interactions, which tend to be more negative and less positive. Women are generally more expressive and tend to drive the emotional climate of a couple’s relationship. Men are more likely to repress their feelings or not be aware or tuned into the climate of change taking place.”

Suggestions

When you are unable to sleep experts suggest that you get out of bed and sit in a chair to read or do some other quiet activity. As you get sleepy, go back to bed and use a relaxation technique to fall asleep. Your bedroom should be a haven for resting and intimacy so that it doesn’t become another environment for work related activities that would stimulate the brain.

After a poor night’s rest you should keep your body active during the day even though you are feeling tired. This should help to ensure a better rest the following night. Strenuous exercise in the late afternoon seems to promote a more restful sleep. Also performing gentle stretches before bed, a warm bath, music and intimacy can help release the melatonin needed for a good night’s sleep.