How Unchecked Insomnia Can Ruin You
Nearly 30 percent of all American adults show symptoms of insomnia. It’s a fairly common sleep disturbance but not many of us understand the problem in its entirety.
Getting less than 8 hours of sleep or not sleeping a wink thanks to your late night bout of caffeine can make you feel a little out of sync with yourself. However, that wouldn’t necessarily classify your condition as insomnia.
When you hear it from an actual insomniac, you’ll come to realize the debilitating effects the disorder has on both, physical and mental health.
What is insomnia?
In simple terms, insomnia is a sleep disorder. We’re probably more familiar with its first form where individuals are unable to fall asleep. This is called onset insomnia. However, there’s a second form too. This is when an individual finds it difficult to stay asleep. These people tend to wake up many times during the night and can’t return to sleep.
Those who are lucky only experience insomnia for a few days or weeks. However, chronic insomnia patients experience symptoms persistently for at least a month or more. This is when your lack of sleep is a cause of worry.
How insomnia affects you
A good, restful sleep cycle is important for our survival. We need to sleep to recharge and perform adequately. Little to no sleep can make you feel weak or sluggish. However, there are some serious conditions associated with insomnia.
• Heart and blood-related problems
Your heart doesn’t stop beating even when you’re asleep. However, no sleep can impair your heart’s functioning. Studies show that people with insomnia are more likely to experience heart disease, stroke and clogged blood vessels.
• Weak immune system
Sleep is the time for your immune system to replace T-cells that fight infection. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep can leave you at risk for contracting common illnesses such as flu.
• Obesity
Poor sleep can disrupt your metabolic processes and elevate cortisol levels. This means you’re likely to store fat in your body and gain weight.
• Reduced life span
Studies show that individuals with chronic insomnia are at a 97 percent risk of early death. Part of this reduced life expectancy can be attributed to the waning mental health of an insomniac individual.
If you or your loved one is battling a serious sleep disturbance issue, feel free to get in touch with Noor Acupuncture and Wellness. Under the leadership of spiritual psychologist Rana Mansour, we offer our clients a safe environment where they can work to heal their mind and body with us.
From acupuncture treatments to hypnotherapy, we offer a wide range of holistic solutions to help you feel your best self!
Based in Encino, CA, we cater to areas in and around North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks and Woodland Hills.