Ahh, sleep; it's one of the things we all need- but few of us get enough of it. With hectic work schedules and a digitallyfocused society keeping our phones and mobile devices active at all hours, manymen struggle to shut off at night.
Unfortunately, the impacts of poor sleep gofar beyond feeling irritable the next day, potentially affecting your emotionalwellbeing, physical health and productivity.
In this guide, we'll reveal why sleep mattersand explore why men struggle.
The facts on male sleeping patterns
Statistics show that women are more likely tostruggle with sleep problems than men, with 48% of males saying they don't getenough sleep (Statista).
A Nuffield Healthreport also found that almost three-quarters of 8000 UK workers experience poorsleep quality regularly.
When Numan questionedmen about their sleeping patterns, they found one of the biggest problems wasfailing to sleep through the night, with many men getting up at least once.
Finally, men are up to three times more likelyto receive a sleep apnea diagnosis than women (Mayo Clinic).
Why is sleep so important for males?
Men need at least seven hours of sleep eachnight, allowing their brains to rest and body to recharge (NCBI). Failing toachieve this amount can have a damaging impact on your overall health,productivity and wellbeing.
Let's have a look at why sleep is crucial formen:
● PhysicalHealth: Sleep enables thebody to perform critical functions, but it requires rest to achieve this. Fromrepairing muscles to hormone regulation, your body functions best when yousleep.
● MentalHealth: Failing to rest yourbrain at night can result in anxiety and even depression if the problemcontinues.
● CognitiveFunction: The brain needsrest to perform basic tasks, and people who don't get enough sleep oftenstruggle to concentrate and remember things, impacting their productivity.
● WeightGain: Sleep is also crucialfor weight loss, as poor patterns can result in obesity due to metabolicimbalances and the brain craving more energy.
● Immunity:Your immune system isresponsible for battling infections and keeping you healthy. When you don't getenough sleep, it's poorly equipped to fight in your corner, resulting in ahigher risk of illness.
What causes poor sleep in men?
While the odd restless night is perfectlynormal, if you're regularly experiencing sleep issues, it can be a sign of adeeper problem.
As specialists in men'sphysical and mental health, we oftenhelp our patients find the cause of their insomnia and notice the followingfactors that might cause problems.
Lifestylefactors
Even small things might have a significantimpact on your sleep quality. For example, consuming caffeine early in theevening or using nicotine can rev up your brain, making it harder to switch offat night.
In most cases, you can prevent this by cuttingyour intake and avoiding caffeine from the afternoon onwards.
Shift workers might also find their lack ofroutine impacts sleep stability because of constant changes.
Medicalconditions
Many males with prostate issues, heartburn,and cardiovascular disorders can also find sleeping difficult, which might bedue to chronic pain or being unable to get comfortable.
For example, prostate complications can causefrequent urination, which means men will get up multiple times throughout thenight (Ben's Natural Health).
Heartburn can also cause complications, butyour doctor should be able to prescribe medicine that treats the symptoms.
Sleepdisorders
There are a range of sleep disorders,including restless leg syndrome, insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea. Men whostruggle with sleep apnea experience breathing interruptions during the night,along with excessive snoring and an increased risk of high blood pressure.
Some men might also experience lowertestosterone levels, which is why treatment is so important. Treating thecondition can improve quality of sleep in men, enabling them to reduce symptoms and prevent complications.
Mentalhealth
Mental health is a significant component ofyour overall wellbeing and general stress can quickly worsen. When it turnsinto anxiety or depression, your brain will find it harder to focus, and racingthoughts can impact your sleep.
People with conditions such as Bipolardisorder are more likely to experience regular sleep disturbances, whichworsens their symptoms (NIH).
Medications such as antidepressants and moodstabilisers can help, but CBT and other therapeutic interventions can help menchange their thinking patterns and learn to switch off.
Consuming apoor diet
A healthy diet is key to your overallwellbeing, but hectic schedules often mean it's easier for people to rely onfast food and ready meals, instead of consuming foods that offer a lot ofnutrition.
Eating greasy and heavy meals in the eveningscan impact your ability to sleep - as can consuming excessive amounts of sugar.
Most people find they sleep easier when theyeat smaller portions in the evenings and enjoy a healthy diet.
The effectsof ageing
Your age can also affect how much you sleep.Remember those teenage years when you had no problem getting 10 hours? Or inyour 20s when surviving on three hours of sleep was no big deal?
Older people usually spend less time in astate of deep sleep than younger adults, which can mean it's easier to wake upduring the night. When we factor in the medications that older men might take,it's easy to see why insomnia is a common symptom of ageing.
For example, some asthma and blood pressuremedicines can impact your sleep cycle, but your doctor might be able to suggestan alternative.
The bottom line
Sleep is crucial for numerous components ofyour daily life, and failing to get enough can harm your health. Once you knowthe underlying cause of your lack of rest, it's easier to explore whetherlifestyle changes or treatments will be more effective.
If you're struggling with sleep, the EdenClinic For Men has a dedicated team of specialists who are ready and willing tohelp you finally get that peaceful night.
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