The Hazards of Sleeplessness

Sleep Debt Is on the Rise

Studies show that 50-70 million adults in the US are diagnosed with some form of a sleep disorder. Moreover, 150 million individuals in the developing world are estimated to be impacted by sleep-related difficulties. Poor sleep can be hazardous to overall health and functioning.

Physical Impact

Lack of sleep can cause lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure and cholesterol, lowered immunity, hormonal imbalance as well as fatigue and exhaustion.

Psychological Impact

Sleeplessness can lead to emotional problems like feeling tired, lonely, irritable, and moody. It can also exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Cognitive Impact

Poor sleep is linked to poorer memory. It can also impair a person's ability to process information, concentrate on tasks, solve problems, and make decisions.

Causes of Poor Sleep

Biological Factors

Hereditary factors often lead to sleep difficulties. Imbalance in levels of hormones and neurotransmitters can also influence one's sleep quality. Moreover, a few disorders like sleep apnoea have a strong biological basis.

Environmental Factors

A person's sleeping environment affects the quality of sleep they get. If a room is loud, brightly lit, too warm or too cold, then it becomes difficult to fall asleep. Without a conducive environment, good sleep is unlikely.

Lifestyle Factors

A number of lifestyle variables have been linked to poor sleep. Some of these are doing shift work, travelling across timezones, using gadgets right before bed, and excessive consumption of caffeine, alcohol or nicotine.

Strategies to Sleep Better

Sleep Rituals

This technique involves creating a schedule of sleep-promoting activities right before a person goes to bed in order to reinforce healthy sleep patterns.

Relaxation Activities

Learning strategies to unwind before bed and simultaneously avoiding stimulating activities (like playing video games) can help improve sleep quality.

Positive Sleep Beliefs

Identifying unhelpful beliefs about sleep (such as, "I need sleep to function tomorrow") and using techniques to dispute them can help people sleep better.

Stimulus Control

Research says that people should use their bed only for sex and sleep. Avoiding other activities helps the brain to form a link between the bed and sleep.

How InnerHour Can Help

The sleep programme in the InnerHour app offers personalised tools and activities to help people work on their sleep difficulties.

Based on age and other factors, the app will recommend ideal sleep duration for a person and will also create a timetable for them.

Through a series of structured, engaging activities, the app helps people maintain sleep hygiene by making positive changes in their lifestyle and bedroom environment.

The app also identifies negative thinking patterns that interfere with sleep and teaches strategies to dispute them.

We offer rich, scientific articles with information to help people understand sleep better and learn different techniques to improve their sleeping patterns.

What our users say

Had severe stress. Not sleeping for months. N tried this on whim. I got annoyed at first but oh my god did the pmr exercise helped me. I actually relaxed n fell aeeo. Works. Looking forward to keep using this

ShadowayeLeFay

01/02/2019

I am feelin good after this and helps to sleep

Renuka Wadhwa

21/01/2019

this app changed my life. i had a lot of stress and had problems with my sleep before. but now, i'm learned how to have a deep breathing, sleep before 22:00 and wake up at 5:00. i highly recommend you use this app. sorry for my english

A Google User

05/03/2019

i love this app it has helped me with anxiety and in falling asleep faster and waking up felling better

Rea B

27/03/2019

I really enjoy this app it helped me to fall sleep faster on my first night using it. and its easy to use. thanks

Caro D

16/04/2019

Get a Good Night's Rest

It can all begin with a simple step. Download the InnerHour app today.

References

Stranges, S., Tigbe, W., Gomes-Olive, F. X., Thorogood, M., & Kandala, N. (2012, August 01). Sleep Problems: An Emerging Global Epidemic? Findings From the INDEPTH WHO-SAGE Study Among More Than 40,000 Older Adults From 8 Countries Across Africa and Asia.

Morin, C. M., & Belanger, L. (2011). Cognitive Therapy for Dysfunctional Beliefs about Sleep and Insomnia. Behavioral Treatments for Sleep Disorders. doi: 107 10.1016/B978-0-12-381522-4.00011-0

Kolla, B. P., & Auger, R. R. (2011, October). Jet lag and shift work sleep disorders: How to help reset the internal clock. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine 78(10):675-84. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.78a.10083.

Robinson, L., Smith, M., Segal, R., & Segal, J. (January, 2019). Therapy for Sleep Disorders. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/therapy-for-sleep-disorders.htm/