Sleepless Night is a Nightmare

Sleepless night is a Nightmare

Have you ever experienced difficulty falling asleep? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and getting trouble to go back to sleep?

Last night, I found myself crying over these problems, asking myself why I can’t sleep though I go to bed on time. It felt so hard when I couldn’t complete my sleep because the next day, I’m the one who suffered from headache. For college students, like me, sleep is one of our cravings because every weekday were necessary to stay up late for the papers, review for the exams and cramming for deadlines. But how could I take a rest if I’m having hard times of falling asleep?

Exhausting sleep, waking up frequently during the night, trouble getting back to sleep when awaken, irritability, difficulty returning to sleep and difficulty concentrating are the symptoms of what we called Insomnia.

Insomnia is a Latin word for "no sleep”, it is the inability to fall asleep or remain asleep. According to National Institutes of Health (NHI) “Insomnia can be acute (short-term) or chronic (on -going). Acute insomnia is common and often is brought on by situations such as stress at work, family pressures, or a traumatic event. Acute insomnia lasts for days or weeks. Chronic insomnia lasts for a month or longer. Most cases of chronic insomnia are secondary, which means they are the symptom or side effect of some other problem. Certain medical conditions, medicines, sleep disorders, and substances can cause secondary insomnia.”

There are common mental and physical causes of insomnia. Psychological problems that can cause insomnia are depression, anxiety, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic and stress disorder. Medications that can cause insomnia are antidepressants; cold and flu medications that contain alcohol; pain relievers that contain caffeine (Midol, Excedrin); diuretics, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone and high blood pressure medications. Medical problems that can cause insomnia are asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, cancer and chronic pain. And sleep disorders that can cause insomnia are sleep apnea, narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome. (Saisan et.al. Can’t sleep, 2013)

Base on my research there’s a lot of negative effects if you don’t get enough sleep and there are horrible things that can happen to you. These are the examples effect when you experienced sleepless.

Headaches. Migraines can be triggered by sleepless nights. Doctors noticed that sleep deprivation leads to headaches for more than a century but scientists don’t yet know the reasons why. Some research said 36 to 58 % of people with sleep apnea wake up with “nondescript morning headaches.” (Headache, 2003; Headache, 2005)

Memory Problems. In 1924, researchers discover that people with a lot of slept are the people who forgot less while a person who doesn’t have enough sleep can be linked to higher levels of β-Amyloid, a biomarker for Alzheimer's. (Cell Signal, 2012; Nature Neuroscience, 2013; JAMA Neurology, 2013)

Slowness. Researchers gave West Point cadets a test where they’ll do a quick decision-making; some were allowed to sleep while others are not. Those who’d sleep did better while those who don’t have sleep did badly and their reactions slowed down. (Sleep, 2009; Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, 2012)

Irritability. "Complaints of irritability and [emotional] volatility following sleepless nights" are common, a team of Israeli researchers observed. They found out that negative emotional effects of disruptive events were amplified by sleep loss. (Sleep, 2005)

Weight gain. People who are under slept seem to have hormone imbalances that are tied to increased appetite, more cravings for high-calorie foods, a greater response to indulgent treats, and a dampened ability to control their impulses — a very dangerous combination. It's true that you burn more calories when awake, but not nearly enough to cancel out the many excess calories you consume when exhausted. (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2012; PLOS Medicine, 2004; Nature Communications, 2013; PNAS, 2013)

Death. According to business insider, “Many health problems are associated with sleep deprivation and poor sleep, but here's the big one: People who consistently do not get 7-8 hours of sleep are more likely to die during a given time period. Put more simply: We all die eventually, but sleeping too little — or even too much — is associated with a higher risk of dying sooner than you otherwise might.” (Sleep, 2010; Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2010)

Experiencing sleepless night is a nightmare because based on the last effects of sleepless night it can cause death. Now that I found out that it’s not a good idea to be a nocturnal person, I conclude that too much sleepless can kill you. As a student, it is not good for us to not complete the 8-10 hours of sleep because it can affect our study and memory. We must bear in our mind that it’s very important to have a healthy lifestyle and to achieve it; we must have a complete sleep.




Sources:

· http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-if-you-dont-get-enough-sleep-2014-2#ixzz2tBc60lii
· http://www.helpguide.org/life/insomnia_treatment.htm
· http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/inso/causes.html