Sleep Patterns

Sleep Patterns

Moms, do you find that your sleep patterns are not as peaceful as it used to be? This could be your body’s response to the stress in your life. Find out if the way you sleep indicates that there is too much stress in your life.

If you ask most moms, they would say that they got more sleep before the children came along. Looking after our kids comes hand in hand with sleep deprivation. But if this sleep deprivation continues to occur, our bodies will result in other means of getting rest, even if that means being under the weather. Checking your sleep patterns will determine if the sleep problems are due to an illness or a stress response.
Here are some characteristics of stress induced sleeping problems and illness related sleeping problems:

Stress

Trouble falling asleep- Stress can cause people to have trouble getting to sleep. What’s on their mind during their minds can still be plaguing their thoughts when laying down for sleep. Their minds are moving at lightning speed trying to process the events of the day -what they did or didn’t do. Give your mind a chance to process before getting to bed. Wind down first and then try to go to sleep.

Waking up several times- Some people fall asleep okay but can’t maintain a sleeping state. They wake up several times during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep. When they finally manage to get some good sleep, it’s time to get up for the day. Stress tends to put your body and mind in overdrive. You may be able to fall asleep, but your body isn’t always tired enough to stay asleep for the night. Try taking a warm bath before going to bed to help relax your body and mind to obtain a restful night.

Not enough sleep- Some people get to sleep and stay asleep okay, but end up waking up after only 4-5 hours of sleep. They’re unable to return to sleep, so they get up feeling tired, listless and lethargic. Having to face a day feeling this way can cause you to become more anxiety ridden and makes the cycle of sleep disturbance continue.

Illness

Sleep Apnea- This is a medical disorder that causes an affected person to experience periods where they stop breathing for a few seconds. These episodes occur several times throughout the night sometimes waking you up. The more episodes you have, the more tired you feel the next day. If you suspect this condition may be occurring for you, check with you physician.

Depression- Severe bouts of depression will cause you to sleep too much or too little. You can also be sleeping at odd hours of the day. The disturbed sleep patterns you have tend to make the depression worse. Be sure to consult a mental health professional if you experience any signs of depression.

Kidney disease- Those who suffer from this disease can have their sleep interrupted throughout the night by having the need to use the bathroom. It can also cause persistent feelings of fatigue along with shortness of breath. Both can interrupt your normal sleeping routine. Consult a doctor if you think you may be experiencing this disease.

A few nights of sleep disturbances here and there is no cause for alarm, but if you find the problems persist then you should find out the underlying cause. Illnesses would need to be treated right away to prevent them from getting worse. Stress should be treated as well as this could ultimately cause some illnesses like depression. Be sure to check your sleep patterns today!