The effects of poor sleep on your health (and the easy way to avoid them)

Sleep deprivation can be incredibly disruptive to daily life, as anyone with insomnia or poor sleeping habits can attest.

Beyond the impact on mood and energy, so many vital human functions can depend on your quality of sleep: memory, your immune system, your energy levels, and even your fundamental ability to manage stress.

There are a few ways to counteract the effects of poor sleep or improve sleep health, such as exercise, dietary changes or supplements like TerryWhite Chemmart’s newly launched melatonin products for over-55s. However, it’s also important to seek your Pharmacist’s advice and better understand the underlying issue.

What’s causing my poor sleep?

Poor sleep can have many causes. These include environmental factors (such as unfavourable weather or uncomfortable mattresses) or existing health issues (such as arthritis or chronic pain conditions).

One of the most common and persistent culprits of poor sleep health is insomnia, a condition all too many older Australians struggle with.

Insomnia often flies under the radar when it comes to health concerns. While chronic insomnia can last for months, acute insomnia is often harder to identify, with sleep difficulties occurring on and off, and lasting for shorter periods of time (anywhere between a few days and a few weeks).

Insomnia is characterised by three main symptoms. Someone suffering from insomnia can experience one, two or all three of the following:

• Trouble getting to sleep
• Not being able to sleep for as long as you’d like, or
• Waking up during the night and not being able to go back to sleep

Treatment of insomnia can vary, especially in the case of primary insomnia — which is insomnia not caused or related to other conditions.

Supplements such as TerryWhite Chemmart’s brand new melatonin product can provide short-term relief to those suffering from primary insomnia by targeting all three pain points listed above to deliver a better night’s sleep.

The effects of sleep on memory

Though it’s not an uncommon experience to experience the occasional bout of forgetfulness, poor sleep can actually aggravate or even cause memory issues.

Sleep deprivation has been known to interfere with the ability to consolidate and retrieve information. Whether you’re just not getting enough hours of rest, or your sleep is low-quality, you’ll find yourself having more difficulty than usual with committing things to memory and recalling them.

Utilising strategies to repair your sleep schedule, improve sleep quality and sleep for longer can help counteract this adverse effect. A healthy dose of exercise, mindfulness and/or supplements can work wonders to improve sleep health and combat memory loss.

The effects of sleep on stress management

In today’s fast-paced world, stress is also a common companion, often fueled by the pervasive issue of poor sleep quality. When sleep is constantly disrupted, it can lead to high levels of stress.

Persistent stress not only impacts mental health, causing anxiety and irritability, but it can also take a toll on our physical health. If neglected, it can lead to health conditions such as hypertension and weakened immunity.

This can create a vicious cycle: stress leads to sleep deprivation, sleep deprivation leads to stress. In situations like this, short-term solutions such as melatonin supplements may offer the opportunity to break this cycle.

The effects of sleep on energy levels

Around 1.5 million Australians see their doctor about their fatigue symptoms each year, and poor sleep is one common cause of this.

Not only can a constant feeling of tiredness severely impact one’s quality of life; over time it can also lead to serious health conditions including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, not to mention major mental health concerns.

Resolving the underlying issue will sometimes require significant lifestyle changes, and this is sadly easier said than done when motivation is low. This is where short-term treatment can offer the break you need.

An affordable solution for over-55 Australians

TerryWhite Chemmart has recently launched a new and exclusive melatonin product, suitable especially for older Australians who struggle with sleep. Just one tablet a day is all that’s needed to fall asleep more easily and improve sleep quality.

TerryWhite Chemmart’s products are made with an extra ingredient of care, ensuring safety and appropriate prescribing. If you’d like to learn more about how melatonin can help improve sleep, speak to your local TerryWhite Chemmart Pharmacist or click the banner below to learn more about their newly launched melatonin product.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO ASK YOUR PHARMACIST ABOUT THIS PRODUCT. For short-term treatment of primary insomnia (insomnia without an underlying medical or any other clear cause) characterised by poor quality sleep in adults aged 55 years and over. Not to be used concurrently with other treatments for insomnia. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.