Living with depression can be a lonely road
Lack of sleep may have negative effects on your body and brain
Human body without sufficient sleep is a nest of depression and several health complications. When you lack sleep, there's much more than merely a tired feeling in your body. A good night sleep helps you to sustain healthier body weight, boosts your concentration, and helps you to make better choices.
Regrettably, most people suffer from sleep deprivation due to lack of the appropriate beddings. If you lack the right mattress, you're likely to be uncomfortable during sleep. To pick the right mattress, see how Amerisleep compares.
Additionally, sleep affects the functioning of your nervous system in various ways. Read on to find out how sleep affects your nervous system.
1 . Sleep is necessary for cognition
Rest has a significant impact on cognitive functioning. Adequate sleep supports you to think clearly, remember, and make right decisions. However, when you lack sleep, some functions of the brain are interrupted. This way, short-term memories are usually reset to give room for new information bring about easy forgetfulness.
Also, it becomes harder to focus, and this can affect your performance in school or at work. Sleep deprivation effects on the brain also slow down your reaction time leading to dangerous driving and other safety-related risks. For older people, long term effects of sleep deprivation on the brain can result in loss of cognitive functioning or memory loss.
2. Sleep boosts creativity
Sleeping enhances the variability of your heart rate and tweaks the vagus nerve, which is a core element in the central nervous system. Sleep propagates creativity, but lack of sleep strips it away.
How does sleep affect the brain and learning? One study had participants learning a task to do with numbers whereby they were to identify a pattern hidden in the questions. Those who had good night sleep were more successful in figuring out as compared to the ones who suffered sleep deprivation.
When you suffer sleep deprivation, some thoughts are affected, and you're less likely to think in new and imaginative ways. People who lack sleep perform worse on many types of divergent thinking like originality, fluency, and flexibility. More so, they tend to perseverate on oral tests.
3. Sleep eliminates toxins
During the day, most toxins accumulate in the body, especially those known to cause Alzheimer's disease. However, when you sleep, the space between the brain cells opens significantly, and this boosts the removal of toxins from the brain through the cerebrospinal fluid.
4. Lack of sleep can cause depression.
Research shows that there's a strong relationship between sleep deprivation and depression. Depressed people have difficulties sleeping or tend to sleep a lot. Lack of sleep can lead to depression or worsen it.
More so people who sleep less than six hours or more than eight hours daily are likely to get stressed. The ultimate explanation for such a connection may be because the part of the brain that controls the daily-wake cycle and other body functions suffer disturbance in stressed individuals.
5. Sleep leads to a better memory
During deep sleep, recent memories on your mind group for long term storage. The ability to better recall conversations and information is crucial to both individual productivity as well as workplace efficiency. More so, memory is essential to your self-understanding, and this is only possible if you have adequate sleep.
6. Sleep results in less anxiety
Adequate sleep and getting restorative sleep (REM) significantly reduces the effects of chronic stress. Recent studies have established that participants who suffered sleep deprivation were likely to experience an increase in anxiety the following day. Also, there's a link between sleep deprivation and anxiety; participants who had a more prolonged period of sleep showed the lowest levels of emotional reactivity and stress.
Final thoughts
Adequate has significant benefits to your nervous system as well as your health overall. Ensure that you sleep at least six to eight hours daily for boosted creativity levels, less anxiety, and better memory.
Helpful apps to lower blood pressure
How to maintain a healthy relationship when you have an empty nest
Wellness gifts for the special women in your life
5 ways to bring more relaxation to your life
A good night's sleep is on the way if you follow these tips
Here’s why you should be keeping a happiness diary
Posh Beauty Blog Recommends Scent Fill 100% Natural Plug-in Air Freshener Refills
These tips will give a great boost to your self esteem
Get access to a life-chaning free 21 day yoga summit
Essential oils that calm the mind and the spirit
By Carla Snuggs
If you follow my blog, you know that I am beyond obsessed with essential oils. I recently wrote a blog post about energizing essential oils and how to use them for improved energy and mental clarity. I also love using calming essential oils in an essential oil diffuser, so I am thrilled to share some of the must-have essential oils that calm and that may help reduce feeling anxious or anxious feelings.
To learn more about essential oils I had the honor of tapping Janice Rosenthal, certified Beauty Therapist, Massage Therapist and an internationally qualified Lecturer in Beauty Therapy, Massage, and Anatomy & Physiology. Janice is also the founder of Gardenofessences.com which offers essential oils for the soul! Janice shared her knowledge of three relaxing essential oils.
1. Lavender Essential Oil
Strongest painkiller found in nature – muscle spasm / joint or muscle discomfort / lower back discomfort / head or neck tension
Reduces puffiness, redness or irritation– calms dry, irritated, itchy skin/ puffiness and irritation around the anus / skin imperfections / itching
Feeling anxious – lavender is Nature's natural sedative / offers deep sleep to those who suffer from occasional sleeplessness
Helps maintain an already healthy blood pressure – use daily, in correct dosage, and apply to entire body.
Sinus decongestant – also eases difficulty breathing or irritated airways by relaxing the breathing muscles.
Safe for babies – colic / sleeplessness – consult our Blending guide for babies.
SPECIAL – reduces "restless legs".
PRECAUTIONS – Avoid if you have low blood pressure / Avoid in first trimester of pregnancy, or if you are trying to fall pregnant / Avoid if epileptic.
Posh Tip:
One of my favorite ways to use lavender for relaxation is in beautiful diffuser jewelry. I love the jewelry from Drops of Joy, a brand that makes gorgeous hand-made stainless steel diffuser jewelry.
Drops of Joy Jewelry makes the most beautiful aromatherapy diffuser necklaces, bracelets and earrings. The jewelry comes in semi-precious stones and stainless steel as well as hand-stamped customized options. Each piece of jewelry comes with three diffuser dots. Simply add your essential oil to the diffuser dot and put the dot inside the jewelry. It's such a stylish way to get aromatherapy benefits no matter where you go. They even make cute diffuser jewelry for kids! Bonus - $2 from each item sold by Drops of Joy is donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
2. Chamomile Essential Oil
Chamomile reduces puffiness, redness or irritation – due to blue Azulene, – calms: dry, irritated, itchy skin / skin imperfections / joint or muscle discomfort / sunburn / inflamed muscles and joints.
Extremely Sedative to the nerves – calms anxious feelings / reduces surprise / calms anger / reduces occasional sleeplessness / relaxes restless legs / reduces women’s monthly symptoms.
Painkilling, due to a combination of being a nerve relaxant plus reduces puffiness, redness or irritation – lower back discomfort / muscle tension / joint or muscle discomfort .
Normalizes cell renewal – cuts, scrapes or skin imperfections are rapidly alleviated.
Detoxifying – removes toxins such as uric acid in joint or muscle discomfort, allowing muscles to feel more relaxed.
SPECIAL - Reduces head or neck tension. Apply to back of neck and shoulders. Spread the oil high up the neck, beyond the hairline, into the hair and lower scalp, and behind the ears.
Allow 20 to 30 minutes, to take effect.
PRECAUTIONS – Do not use if pregnant, or if trying to fall pregnant.
3. Frankincense Essential Oil
Tranquilizing – reduces anxious feelings / slows and deepens breathing / reduces occasional sleeplessness / may calm difficulty breathing or irritated airways / muscle relaxant.
Anti-wrinkle – Frankincense contains powerful anti-aging phytochemicals.
Calms unwanted bacteria or pathogens: bladder / vagina / skin imperfection / sores within the abdomen.
SPECIAL – may lessen heavy menstrual periods / may ease nausea.
PRECAUTIONS – None.
Images courtesy: Enabledkids.ca, Newhealthadvisor.com, Essentialoilscompany.com
What are your favorite calming essential oils? Leave your comments below!
Look better than ever with a few simple tweaks
What you need to know about the power of communication.
