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Bach flowers mix 87

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What are the dangers of not getting enough sleep?

what are the dangers of not getting enough sleep

You may think that eight hours of sleep seems like a monumental waste of time, given how busy we all are. In the twenty-first century, we live hectic lives, combining demanding work and home schedules, while simultaneously struggling to find space and time for friends, family, and leisure pursuits. It is therefore no wonder that many people work late into the night, or are up at the crack of dawn to visit the gym, at a time when you might reasonably expect to find the world asleep.

Sleeping makes us vulnerable too. You’ll know how deeply unconscious we can become if you’ve ever slept through a storm or the alarm. In the prehistoric era, this would have placed our ancestors at risk, and yet, we are evolutionarily programmed to sleep for between 6 and 11 hours at a time.

The advent of technology has led to a disruption of our sleeping habits. Before electricity, people tended to ease down as it became dark, and work during the daylight hours. The lightbulb means we can work late into the night, and electronic devices can fool our brains into thinking it is still daytime. This disrupts our natural rhythms, but also leads to poorer quality sleep. Professor Charles Czeisler of Harvard Medical School has found that those who read electronic books before they go to bed take longer to get to sleep, have reduced levels of melatonin (the hormone that regulates the body's internal body clock), and are less alert in the morning.

Shift workers face the most disruption. The US Centre for Disease Control claim that nearly half of all US shift workers sleep for fewer than six hours a night.

The importance of sleep

While scientists don't fully comprehend sleep, and its importance, it is largely understood to be an anabolic, or building, process, which restores the body’s energy supplies and repairs physical and emotional fatigue that have been exhausted during the day.

Don’t assume that when we sleep, the mind and body shuts down. This is far from the case. When we sleep the mind and body are extraordinarily active. We do a huge amount of important processing, restoration, and strengthening occurs. It is not known exactly how this happens or why we have to sleep for such a long period of time, but scientists know sleep is needed for optimal health and wellbeing.

What are the dangers of not getting enough sleep?

1. Memory

Sleep helps us to solidify and consolidate memories. All the information that we take in during the day are processed while we sleep. Many memories are transferred from the short-term memory to the long-term memory, consolidating them so that they are easily remembered in the future. In addition, the brain clears itself of waste, or the things it thinks it doesn’t need to know. This is rather like cleaning the cache on your computer.

2. Physical fitness

The body needs long periods of sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones.

Sleep restores our mental energy. Having spent all day thinking, worrying and creating, we use up our energy stores, and they need to be restored.

Sleep deprivation affects our coordination. We become clumsier and make more mistakes. We lose our ability to do things with agility. If we get enough sleep, muscle tone and skin appearance improves. Without it we are sallow complexioned. With adequate sleep athletes run better, swim better and are able to lift more weight. Our immune system responds much better depending on how well we sleep.

3. Increased risk of disease or illness

What are the dangers of not getting enough sleepA lack of sleep alters the way in which genes in the body's cells behave, according to researchers at Surrey University in Guildford, UK. They found that genes involved in inflammation increase their activity if we’re not getting enough sleep, and they behave as though the body is under stress. This seems to be part of the fight and flight mechanism we display when we’re stressed. It’s a primordial reaction. The resulting inflammation helps to cushion the effects of potential attacks by wild animals or human enemies. The body is therefore ‘on alert’ even though no attack happens and this activates the immune system even though it isn’t needed. Scientists fear this explains the link between sleep deprivation and negative health outcomes such as heart disease and stroke.

4. Problems thinking

Research has shown that as we become more sleep-deprived, parts of the brain become inactive while we are awake. This explains why we feel ‘half-asleep’ sometimes, or perhaps, slightly dim-witted.

5. You lose your coping mechanisms

A lack of sleep affects our personalities. We lose our sense of humour. We may become irritable and less tolerant. We snap at members of our family, we’re grumpy with colleagues. Things that might generally amuse us seem annoying.

What prevents you sleeping?

  • Mobile phones in the bedroom disturb sleep for one in eight of us.
  • An uncomfortable or noisy environment
  • An irregular routine - going to bed late or waking up early prevents the likelihood of restorative deep sleep
  • Daylight – or too much artificial light
  • Stimulants - coffee, alcohol, food
  • Foods containing a chemical called tyramine (such as bacon, cheese, nuts and red wine) can keep us awake. Tyramine causes the release of noradrenaline, a brain stimulant. Carbohydrates have the opposite effect and release serotonin, which makes us sleepy.
  • The wrong body temperature
  • A busy mind
  • Stress is the enemy of sleep. In bed, our mind is left free to wander, and feeling anxious about

How much sleep is needed?

Children need more sleep than adults because they are learning at a higher rate. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night, one-year-olds need approximately 11 to 14 hours, school age children between 9 and 11, and teenagers between 8 and 10.

If you are sleep deprived, you cannot simply make up for it at weekends. It is best to develop a sleep habit that is consistent, regardless of your age, to meet your sleep needs every night. This will enable you to keep on top of life's challenges on a day-by-day basis.

The factors that influence our sleep patterns are thought to include our physical size, muscle mass, brain size and our ability to think.

Created by Tom Vermeersch

Tom Vermeersch

Tom Vermeersch is a certified Psychologist and Bach flower expert with more than 30 years of experience.

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What are the dangers of not getting enough sleep?

What are the dangers of not getting enough sleep?
what are the dangers of not getting enough sleep

You may think that eight hours of sleep seems like a monumental waste of time, given how busy we all are. In the twenty-first century, we live hectic lives, combining demanding work and home schedules, while simultaneously struggling to find space and time for friends, family, and leisure pursuits. It is therefore no wonder that many people work late into the night, or are up at the crack of dawn to visit the gym, at a time when you might reasonably expect to find the world asleep.

Sleeping makes us vulnerable too. You’ll know how deeply unconscious we can become if you’ve ever slept through a storm or the alarm. In the prehistoric era, this would have placed our ancestors at risk, and yet, we are evolutionarily programmed to sleep for between 6 and 11 hours at a time.

The advent of technology has led to a disruption of our sleeping habits. Before electricity, people tended to ease down as it became dark, and work during the daylight hours. The lightbulb means we can work late into the night, and electronic devices can fool our brains into thinking it is still daytime. This disrupts our natural rhythms, but also leads to poorer quality sleep. Professor Charles Czeisler of Harvard Medical School has found that those who read electronic books before they go to bed take longer to get to sleep, have reduced levels of melatonin (the hormone that regulates the body's internal body clock), and are less alert in the morning.

Shift workers face the most disruption. The US Centre for Disease Control claim that nearly half of all US shift workers sleep for fewer than six hours a night.

The importance of sleep

While scientists don't fully comprehend sleep, and its importance, it is largely understood to be an anabolic, or building, process, which restores the body’s energy supplies and repairs physical and emotional fatigue that have been exhausted during the day.

Don’t assume that when we sleep, the mind and body shuts down. This is far from the case. When we sleep the mind and body are extraordinarily active. We do a huge amount of important processing, restoration, and strengthening occurs. It is not known exactly how this happens or why we have to sleep for such a long period of time, but scientists know sleep is needed for optimal health and wellbeing.

What are the dangers of not getting enough sleep?

1. Memory

Sleep helps us to solidify and consolidate memories. All the information that we take in during the day are processed while we sleep. Many memories are transferred from the short-term memory to the long-term memory, consolidating them so that they are easily remembered in the future. In addition, the brain clears itself of waste, or the things it thinks it doesn’t need to know. This is rather like cleaning the cache on your computer.

2. Physical fitness

The body needs long periods of sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones.

Sleep restores our mental energy. Having spent all day thinking, worrying and creating, we use up our energy stores, and they need to be restored.

Sleep deprivation affects our coordination. We become clumsier and make more mistakes. We lose our ability to do things with agility. If we get enough sleep, muscle tone and skin appearance improves. Without it we are sallow complexioned. With adequate sleep athletes run better, swim better and are able to lift more weight. Our immune system responds much better depending on how well we sleep.

3. Increased risk of disease or illness

What are the dangers of not getting enough sleepA lack of sleep alters the way in which genes in the body's cells behave, according to researchers at Surrey University in Guildford, UK. They found that genes involved in inflammation increase their activity if we’re not getting enough sleep, and they behave as though the body is under stress. This seems to be part of the fight and flight mechanism we display when we’re stressed. It’s a primordial reaction. The resulting inflammation helps to cushion the effects of potential attacks by wild animals or human enemies. The body is therefore ‘on alert’ even though no attack happens and this activates the immune system even though it isn’t needed. Scientists fear this explains the link between sleep deprivation and negative health outcomes such as heart disease and stroke.

4. Problems thinking

Research has shown that as we become more sleep-deprived, parts of the brain become inactive while we are awake. This explains why we feel ‘half-asleep’ sometimes, or perhaps, slightly dim-witted.

5. You lose your coping mechanisms

A lack of sleep affects our personalities. We lose our sense of humour. We may become irritable and less tolerant. We snap at members of our family, we’re grumpy with colleagues. Things that might generally amuse us seem annoying.

What prevents you sleeping?

  • Mobile phones in the bedroom disturb sleep for one in eight of us.
  • An uncomfortable or noisy environment
  • An irregular routine - going to bed late or waking up early prevents the likelihood of restorative deep sleep
  • Daylight – or too much artificial light
  • Stimulants - coffee, alcohol, food
  • Foods containing a chemical called tyramine (such as bacon, cheese, nuts and red wine) can keep us awake. Tyramine causes the release of noradrenaline, a brain stimulant. Carbohydrates have the opposite effect and release serotonin, which makes us sleepy.
  • The wrong body temperature
  • A busy mind
  • Stress is the enemy of sleep. In bed, our mind is left free to wander, and feeling anxious about

How much sleep is needed?

Children need more sleep than adults because they are learning at a higher rate. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night, one-year-olds need approximately 11 to 14 hours, school age children between 9 and 11, and teenagers between 8 and 10.

If you are sleep deprived, you cannot simply make up for it at weekends. It is best to develop a sleep habit that is consistent, regardless of your age, to meet your sleep needs every night. This will enable you to keep on top of life's challenges on a day-by-day basis.

The factors that influence our sleep patterns are thought to include our physical size, muscle mass, brain size and our ability to think.




Bach flowers mix 87: Sleep problems

Bach flowers mix  87 helps to:

  • Worry less and therefore sleep better
  • Become calm and have fewer tensions
  • Be less afraid
  • Respect your own boundaries and prevent over-tiredness
  • Have more confidence and be less worried about others
  • Sleep better and sleep soundly
Discover how Bach flowers mix 87 can help you
Marie Pure

Other articles


Isn't depression just a fancy word for feeling a bit down

Isn't depression just a fancy word for feeling a bit down?

Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety affect around 1 in 6 people at some stage of their life. Despite it being such a common problem, many sufferers wait months or even years before seeking help.

Read the complete article

Signs of depression under the radar

Signs of depression under the radar

It is not always obvious when someone is experiencing depression. Some people with depression mask their symptoms, hiding their feelings behind a smile to convince others they are happy.

Read the complete article

How can I help my child achieve their dreams

How can I help my child achieve their dreams?

Children's imaginations know no limits and their dreams are a mix of hopes and fantasies, the real and the magical, the impossible and the achievable.

Read the complete article

Standing Up To A Narcissistic Pervert

Standing Up To A Narcissistic Pervert

Whether it's with a romantic partner or a housemate, there's no doubt that a relationship with a narcissist can be very challenging. But are there ways to cope better? Or is it better to leave the relationship? 

Read the complete article

How to beat irrational anxieties

How to beat irrational anxieties

Irrational anxieties can seem overwhelming, affecting every aspect of your life. Learn how to beat your fears and worries and take back control.

Read the complete article

5 tips to survive autumn healthily

5 tips to survive autumn healthily

We simply can’t avoid noticing the changes all around us. Autumn is here... Autumn is also called a transitional season. Slowly and steadily, it prepares us for the transition...

Read the complete article

Are most people good or bad

Are most people good or bad?

Do you sometimes despair about humanity because it seems there are far more bad people than good? Are we primarily selfish individuals, thinking only about our own needs? Or is this cynical belief just because we spend so much time online? The truth is more complicated!

Read the complete article

How to break your bad habits

How to break your bad habits

Bad habits waste your energy and time. They disrupt your life, risk your health and stop you from achieving your aims. So why do we do them? And what can we do to break our bad habits?

Read the complete article

Subtle signs your child is unhappy

Subtle signs your child is unhappy

According to figures from the World Health Organisation, more than 260 million people worldwide suffer from depression. And it's not only adults who are diagnosed with this illness. Children as young as three or four years old can experience depression.

Read the complete article

What makes it so hard to go back to school

What makes it so hard to go back to school?

Going back to school during a pandemic is a new experience for everyone, and it's understandable if children are feeling anxious about it. We take a look at some of the issues and how you can help your child to get ready for returning to the classroom.

Read the complete article

Bach Flowers are not medicinal but harmless plant extracts which are used to support health.

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