Sleep is essential for good health, and sleep deprivation can have serious consequences.
Several years ago, Netflix's official Twitter account posted the following message: "Sleep is my greatest enemy." This is exactly how you might feel when you know you should be in bed but don't want to go. But your need to stay awake might be bad for your health. Here's why it's time to stop putting off going to bed and start moving in a healthier direction:
What does procrastination at bedtime mean?
Our highly connected world keeps us busy by giving us one more episode to watch, one more text to answer, and a few more social media apps to try out. It can be hard to find time for ourselves when we have to deal with stress and problems every day. Does it come as a surprise that many of us delay going to bed?
Nearly 20 years ago, a group of researchers in Europe came up with the term "bedtime procrastination" to describe someone who goes to bed later than planned even though they know it will affect them. According to their findings, adults who delayed going to bed by a large margin felt more tired and slept fewer hours per night than their counterparts who did not delay going to bed.
one important thing? Smartphone use: People who put things off use their phones for an average of almost 80 minutes before bed, while people who don't put things off use their phones for 18 minutes.
People who tend to put things off use their smartphones for nearly 80 minutes before bed, while those who don't tend to use them until after midnight.
What's the point?
Getting less sleep than you need on a regular basis or not getting enough good sleep is linked to a number of bad health outcomes, such as high blood pressure, heart problems, cognitive problems, and depression. Along with good nutrition and exercise, sleep is one of the three most important things for good health. Yet we often forget that getting enough restful sleep is a way to improve our physical and mental health.
What can you do if you have trouble going to bed on time?
Researchers from the Republic of Korea recently did a small trial of a programme to help people who put off going to bed. Their programme is all about getting people more motivated and changing the way they act. During this preliminary study, 20 people met once a week for 50 minutes for three weeks, and then they got a phone call to check in. They cut the amount of time they wasted before bed by more than 60% and had less trouble with insomnia and daytime sleepiness.
Caregiving for a person with dementia can occasionally be frustrating, challenging, or upsetting. The way forward can be made easier by understanding why specific behaviours take place and learning effective ways to deal with a range of circumstances.
What actions are typical of those who suffer from dementia?
People who have dementia frequently display a variety of odd behaviours, including:
- saying strange things or describing certain things incorrectly.
- forgetting to take a bath or not realising the importance of maintaining good hygiene.
- asking the same question repeatedly or repeating themselves.
- stealing or misplacing items from others.
- neither remembering nor recognising who they are.
- the conviction that a loved one who has passed away is still alive.
- hoarding things like mail or even trash.
- displaying paranoid tendencies.
- being easily agitated or confused.
- Without informing you, I left the house and got lost.
Why do these actions take place?
Imagine a wildfire changing its course inside the brain of a loved one who has dementia, harming or obliterating the brain cells (neurons) and neural networks that control our behaviour.
The underlying cause(s) of dementia will determine what causes this damage. For instance, although the precise cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown, proteins that either clog up or strangle brain cells are thought to play a significant role in the disease. Neurons die as a result of intermittently inadequate blood flow to specific brain regions in a person with vascular dementia.
"As dementia worsens, the person starts to lose brain cells that are involved in memory, planning, judgement, and mood regulation. Your filters are lost.
Muscle dysmorphia: what is it?
The obsession with having a lean and muscular physique characterises muscle dysmorphia. While only a small percentage of boys and young men exhibit the more extreme behaviours that characterise this disorder, it may affect many more people's perspectives. A quarter of boys and young men engage in muscle-building activities of some kind. In the United States, about 60% of young boys say they've altered their diet to build muscle. Even though that might not fit the definition of muscle dysmorphia disorder, many young men are affected by it. There is a social norm that links masculinity and muscle." "Today, even Halloween costumes for boys aged 4 and 5 include padding for six-pack abs. They are constantly told that their bodies should look like this.
Do boys and girls with body dysmorphic disorder have different symptoms?
Body dysmorphia, once thought to be a girl's thing, can manifest as eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia. Muscle dysmorphia is not an eating disorder in the strictest sense. However, it is much more pervasive and sneaky in males.
The prevalent belief is that body dysmorphia only affects females and doesn't affect men.
What are the symptoms of male body dysmorphia?
Parents may find it challenging to tell whether their son is just acting like a teenager or deviating into dangerous territory. Parents should watch out for these warning signs:
- A noticeable change in exercise habits, such as going from working out once per day to working out for several hours each day.
- Following a set schedule for their workouts or meals, such as restricting their food intake or placing a strong emphasis on high-protein foods.
- Avoiding regular activities, like spending time with friends, in favour of working out.
- Taking pictures of their abdomen or muscles obsessively to document "improvement."
- Repeatedly weighing himself each day.
- wearing clothes that emphasise a more muscular physique or hiding their physique with baggier clothing because they don't think it's good enough.