Dopamine

While focusing on sleep deprivation as a growing concern, there are people who are still at it when it comes to needing to be awake for most of the time, mainly for work and personal reasons to which certain drugs and means are being taken to aid them. Dopamine, a fell-good brain chemical helps keep sleep-deprived people awake. But the question here is on whether it is helpful.

Most people are trying to fend off these drugs that keep us awake. Many are likewise looking for cures to cure their sleep deprivation and sleep disorders. But while these things are a given, it would be wise to analyze how Dopamine helps and for what purpose.

For sure there will be after-effects and consequences. But for people who have to be on the go, stay awake most of the time, Dopamine may be an option but for how long?

Sleep deprivation increased dopamine in the striatum, a part of the brain that registers motivation and reward. Dopamine also went up in the thalamus, a brain region that helps control alertness, when the volunteers were sleep-deprived. Increases in the brain chemical kept the volunteers awake, but those same increases also correlated with the volunteers reporting that they felt tired.

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As far as enumerating which health risk factors are associated with sleeping less, you can place elevated blood pressures to be at the helm of it all. Logically, less sleep means higher abuse to our bodies and heading the pack of high risk body systems include the cardiovascular system to which blood pressures can lead to problems with the heart and other cardio organs as well.

There are a lot of things to consider as to why a person would stay up late or sleep less:

1. Work or Studies
2. Lifestyle choices
3. Hardships in sleeping
4. Presence of electronics or gadgets
5. Too much alcohol or vices

In all, these are common things that a person has to deal with. But if a person wants to lead a healthy life, sleep must be valued better. Among them include ensuring all these obstacles are not around as much as possible when you enter your bedroom to sleep soundly.

(Source) Canada.com

During pregnancy, one discomfort that women may encounter would be the proper sleeping position. Traditionally we would all lay flat on our back to sleep well but with a bulging stomach that limits your bed movement, it would be best to stick to a sideway position that can be pretty much the best position for you and your unborn child.

For the pregnant moms who cannot sleep well, here are some tips offered by the American Pregnancy Association:

Try sleeping on your side — particularly your left side, if it’s comfortable. Bend your knees, and place a pillow between your knees.

Also try a pillow under your belly, for support.

If heartburn bothers you, prop up your upper body with pillows.

If you feel short of breath, lie on your side or propped up with pillows.

You should avoid sleeping on your back and on your stomach during pregnancy.

(Source) US News

Here is a good accessory for parents who use pacifiers to calm down their crying babies. The gums of an infant usually become itchy at their age since their teeth are slowly developing. At times, using the standard baby bottles may not always do the trick as their usual step would be to bite off the nipples of their feeding bottle to ooze that itch.

One thing that parents really hate though is having to get up at night to look after their child. Pacifiers are a good recourse but at times, you may find it hard to get up and look for them. The next thing you know, you cannot go back to sleep.

The Paci-Plushies may seem optional but at least it helps lessen the need of most parents to get up and find pacifiers. Further, you can simply reach out for them and then go back to sleep.

Sleep deprived parents of pacifier using tots know how exhausting it is to get up out of bed several times a night in order to replace missing pacifies for a wailing child. Paci-Plushies™, a plush pacifier holder which allows infants and toddlers to easily find a dropped pacifier, is scheduled to launch at the ABC Kids Expo in September, 2008.

(Source) PR.com

Sleep is essential to maintain the healthy bodies that need to carry out various duties today. Majority of the people today are sacrificing sleep for productivity and output which is a commendable effort but only for a limited time. Bodies are not machines. Thus in that sense we all know that in the same way that most people get sick, the same will hold true if we abuse our bodies by not giving them proper rest.

For a better medical understanding read on this:

When it’s sleep-deprived, the body has more difficulty processing blood sugar and has reduced levels of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone. These changes can increase the risk of weight gain and diabetes. Lack of sleep also increases inflammation in the body, which is believed to be an important factor in the development of heart diseases.

(Source) Online International Network