Fatigue and Sleep

Every week I talk to someone about fatigue. There are physical and emotional causes: but the most common cause is lack of sleep.

I have struggled with sleep myself. I have a job where I often get up in the middle of the night with phone calls or emergencies and I use to find it difficult to fall back asleep, especially after difficult or stressful situations.

Science shows that sleep is extremely important to emotional and physical well-being. Lack of sleep has a variety of side effects including, anxiety, depression, weight gain, and even cancer.

Science indicates that the following play a role in our sleep.

1. Blue Light:
   1. Avoid computers, phones, and TVs 1 hour before bed.
   2. Our bodies’ circadian rhythms can get thrown off with bright lights, but just as important is these devices can increase anxiety or even excitement and that can prevent us from falling asleep.
2. Exercising:
   1. 30 minutes of elevated heart rate helps your body rest at night.
   2. Exercising within 1 hour of bed can make it difficult to fall asleep.
3. Meditation:
   1. if you are like me and have a “Monkey Mind” it is especially useful
   2. Even 2 minutes has been shown to help
   3. The more you practice the more it helps. It likely won’t help the first few times you try.
4. Noises:
   1. Many of us don’t want to be without our phones, but even light buzzing/clicking can prevent us from falling into a deep sleep.
5. Sleeping Aids:
   1. Can be habit-forming and make the situation worse
   2. Melatonin can help in adults, but most studies show it is a placebo in kids.
6. Caffeine:
   1. Duration of action is individualized, but a good rule of thumb is Caffeine takes 6-10 hours to leave our system.
7. Alcohol:
   1. Can prevent you from falling into a deep sleep.
   2. For sleep purposes, don’t drink within 3 hours of wanting a good night sleep.