Aren't You Getting Enough Sleep? Here's What You Can Do About It

How much sleep do you need?

How much sleep a person needs varies greatly from person to person. On average, a person needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. However, there are also people who can get by with 5 hours of sleep per night (short sleepers). Other people need more than 8 hours of sleep per night. So how long you need to sleep to feel rested is very personal.

When do we speak of a sleep deficit?

A sleep deficit means that you do not get your required hours of sleep per night. Just like the amount of sleep a person needs, when sleep deprivation occurs also varies from person to person. One person is not sleep deprived until 4 hours of sleep per night, while for another, 7 hours of sleep is already too little.

If you have difficulty falling asleep or wake up frequently during the night, chances are you are sleep deprived.

With a sleep deficit, you may quickly think of simply not getting enough sleep. Yet not only "not sleeping enough" falls under a sleep deficit. In fact, essential to rest is your deep sleep. If you often wake up at night or sleep restlessly, you will not enter the deep sleep phase. As a result, you build up a deficit.

What does sleep deprivation do to you?

Sleep deprivation is very unhealthy. It affects your mental and physical health and can even disrupt your diet. Sleep deprivation causes poor concentration, slow responsiveness, fatigue and headaches, among other things. In addition, it can make you irritable.

Many people with too little sleep notice that their speech is impaired. In many people, this is also reflected on the skin: the skin becomes a bit grayer. So the expression "beauty sleep" was not invented for nothing.

Long-term lack of sleep is very unhealthy and can even increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. So it is very important to do something about it.

Causes of sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation is caused by too little sleep or poor quality sleep. It almost always has one of the following causes:

• Insomnia (this is often related to other causes, but can also have a medical cause)
• Your daily rhythm (you go to sleep too late)
• Stress
• Worrying
• Noise (for example, noise from outside or a snoring partner)
• Sensitivity to certain foods
• Overworking
• Bad bed (think especially about your mattress and pillow)
• Nutrition
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Depression

So sleep deprivation can have a variety of causes. The good news is that you can address them properly.

Why are you sleep deprived?

Sleep is not something you fall short of overnight. There are always one or more factors that cause you to accumulate a sleep debt. A sleep debt means that you repeatedly sleep less than you need. Are you short on sleep, but don't immediately know what's causing it? Then ask yourself the following:

• Are you going to bed too early or too late?
• What do you eat and drink before bed?
• Do you worry a lot at night?
• Is your bed comfortable?
• Do you often drink alcohol?
• What do you do at night and does it calm you down or not?
• Do you suffer from mood swings?
• Do you get outside daily?

Sometimes it happens that you really can't find the cause of sleep deprivation. In that case, it is wise to have it further investigated by a specialist.

4 tips for sleep deprivation

Are you sleep deprived? Then the following 4 tips can help you.

1. Enough sunlight

The sun is essential to your day and night rhythm. The sun makes you active: it signals to your biological clock that it is daytime. As it gets darker, we become sleepy (if all goes well). If you barely get outside, you get very little sunlight. This can contribute to making it harder to fall asleep at night.

Research has shown that morning sunlight has the strongest impact on a good night's sleep. Can you incorporate morning sunlight into your routine? Definitely do! The effect of morning sunlight is strongest between 6 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

2. Rest in your evening routine

If you have difficulty falling asleep, a restful evening routine is important. Think of an evening at home as a few hours in which you create a "sleepy" setting. Most importantly, don't engage in activities that make you feel rushed.

Shut off conversations on your phone or tablet and try to do something that completely relaxes you. A non-exciting series, a book, or breathing exercises certainly help you relax. The same goes for quality time with your partner, child or pet, by the way.

Focus well on the activity you are engaged in. Leave thoughts of sleep for a while. And your bedroom? Preferably it should be nice and cool and dim/dark as soon as you go to sleep.

3. Watch what you eat and drink

Some foods and drinks are best avoided in the evening. If you are sensitive to coffee, it is better to leave it out after 2 p.m. in the afternoon.

There are also some foods that are not optimal later in the evening. Well-known examples are chocolate, most tea (because of the theine), fatty foods, meat, alcohol and sharp foods.

If you do feel like having a snack before bed, choose a light snack such as carrots, warm milk or oatmeal. You can also do just fine with a cup of tea without theine. By the way, did you know that bananas, almonds and dates contain tryptophan? This substance makes you sleepy. So perfect snacks before you go to sleep.

4. Relaxation and meditation

Did you know that there are several breathing exercises and sleep meditations for better sleep? These will help you fall asleep better, sleep deeper and wake up rested in the morning. Meditating and relaxing just don't solve your sleep deprivation in one go. This takes practice. Finally, it is of course important to find out why you are sleep deprived and address that.