March 6-13 is National Sleep Awareness Week!
The human body is like a finely-tuned instrument. Many years before city lights polluted the night sky and people worked wonky work hours, human beings rose and set with the sun. We’ve tried to maintain a reasonable sleep schedule with the average rest period beginning at 10:30 p.m. for American adults and ending at about 6:30 a.m. While not a terrible schedule, it can cause people to lose sleep due to either work stresses or something as complicated as genetics. This Sleep Awareness Week, stop and think about your sleeping habits and how much of an impact a little awareness can have on those that don’t have this luxury.
The best way to increase awareness is to know about some common sleep disorders that are currently affecting millions of Americans across the map.
- Narcolepsy: This is a chronic sleep disorder that causes the person to succumb to sleep attacks at any time during the day. Characterized by extreme fatigue and drowsiness, it can be quite a burden to deal with. Sleep attacks can occur at any time—when eating, walking, or even driving.
- Sleep Hypoventilation: Our breathing is largely due to the diaphragm contracting and expanding. When this muscle is weak or comes under stress due to a lung disorder or obesity, the person will not receive enough oxygen; if left untreated, it could lead to heart failure and stroke.
- Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea involves breathing issues as well, but usually due to a small or floppy throat that closes easily under stresses. Without the ability to replenish oxygen to the brain and heart, it could lead to heart failure, and strokes if left untreated.
Sleep is vital to our mental and physical health. Enjoy 2016 while incorporating these healthy living habits to keep your heart happy and healthy! Also, get good health insurance so a doctor can regularly check your ticker. Contact VGW Walker Insurance for all of your Texas insurance needs.
