Insomnia Complications – Serious Health Problems Caused by Sleep Deprivation

Posted by lack of sleep on March 13th, 2011 filed in Insomnia

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People fighting with the inability to get a good night’s sleep for more than two weeks, are actually struggling with an insomnia onset. If not treated in time, insomnia can cause many health problems, some of which might be irreversible. Just think about how you feel after only one night of not sleeping well, and then multiply that feeling by 10 or 20. Insomnia does not only refer to when you cannot fall asleep at all, but it also may be a problem when you can get only a few hours of sleep and then suddenly wake up, not being able to fall back to sleep. The average adult has to get at least 6 to 7 hours of continuous sleep per night, in order to feel fresh in the morning and in order to be able to carry on with his everyday activitie

Those terrible headaches…

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Until recently, migraines have not been associated with insomnia. However, studies show that in some people the very first sign that they struggle with insomnia (either the inability to fall asleep, or the inability to remain asleep) is that they get out of bed in the morning with terrible headaches. What can you do to fight that daggering pain?

• You should take care of your posture at night. You must rest your head in a very comfortable manner, avoiding too many pillows under your head. In fact, the memory foam pillows are anatomically shaped to keep your neck and spine in a correct position, and that will help a better blood circulation, which in turn will help make those headaches go away.
• Cut off your caffeine intake. Even if you think those coffees help you stay “fresh” during the day, at night, when you try to get a bit of sleep, caffeine will not let you and will help bring about those headaches.

Heart Risks

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When your body and mind cannot get the re-energizing sleep it needs, there are many improper chemical reactions going on in your body. One of them is that you will lose important minerals that help the heart functioning properly. Such a mineral is the Magnesium without which your heart cannot function properly and you can feel abnormal heart rhythms (such as when you feel like your heart skips a beat). Both tachycardia (your heart beating rapidly) and bradycardia (when heart rate drops beneath 60 beats per minute) for prolonged periods, can be a sign that you might be struggling with a serious heart complication. Keep in mind the following:

• Your heart operates well only when there is a low blood pressure present. For this to happen, especially if you are struggling with insomnia, you need mineral supplements such as Calcium and Magnesium which will keep your blood thin (decreased coagulation) and all your vessels healthy.

Depressive states, elevated stress levels and concentration and memory problems

All of these can be complications of insomnia and may affect you in a smaller or greater degree. It is very important to discover the problem in time and do something about it- there are many OTC natural extract medications that can help, or even massage, reflexology or hypnosis therapies. Never let any of these symptoms take over your life, but visit a specialist as soon as possible.