A long-term study performed by the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort found that people who experience chronic insomnia are three times more likely to die than those who are well-rested.
Researches in this study monitored 2,242 participants for 19 years. Adjustments for many possible confounding variables like heart attack, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and bronchitis were made.
These are frightening statistics, especially when you consider the fact that chronic insomnia is experienced by approximately 10 to 15 percent of the adult population.
It is very clear that getting a good nights sleep is crucial for your physical and emotional health. The lack of sleep has a negative impact on your nervous system, neurotransmitters, brain function, hormones, endocrine system, immune system, metabolism, cardiovascular system and much more, meaning it could contribute to a very wide range of chronic health conditions that impair the quality of life or could reduce in death as well.
As a matter of fact, not getting enough sleep can be as hazardous to your health as smoking and may affect all areas of your life. The average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep each night and many people just aren’t getting it.
Although, many people turn to prescription medication, this option is not very effective, and even when it is, it is short-term and ultimately perpetuates the problem even further by interfering in healthy sleep.
Many people are unaware that insomnia can be successfully addressed with a variety of changes in diet and lifestyle like eliminating sugar, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, drugs, white flour and other junk food, eating organic, avoiding exposure to environmental toxins found in common everyday chemicals, getting regular exercise, nutritional supplementation, and a variety of other natural remedies that don’t involve prescription medication.
Deep breathing exercises stimulate the release of melatonin, our primary sleep hormone, and calms down our autonomic nervous system, thus is a very effective natural sleep aid. Perform some simple deep breathing exercises for a few moments each night when you lie down to go to sleep and you’ll be off to Slumberland in no time. The same is true for mindfulness based meditation.
Learn more about the impact of chronic sleep deprivation on your health and the steps you can take see improvements.
There really is no reason that someone should suffer with long-term insomnia and increase their risk of death, as there are many effective options available. The key is to find the underlying cause or causes.
Resource
American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Long-Term Study Links Chronic Insomnia to Increased Risk of Death
