In November we experience a crazy time that a lot of men suddenly grow moustaches and some even try to outdo each other with who can grow the biggest or weirdest ones.
For this reason, this month has become affectionately known as ‘Movember’ and one of the great things about it is that it is not just for fun but it is celebrated worldwide for a great cause to raise funds for and create awareness of Men’s health issues. The focus began with Prostate cancer, still one of the biggest men’s health issues, but fundraising initiatives now include many others like heart disease, testicular cancer etc.
As people who like to keep you informed about sleep and mattress issues, this got us to thinking about the severity of sleep deprivation, something suffered by many men especially those suffering a lot of stress. It made us wonder if sleep deprivation could be one of the biggest men’s health issues.
Sleep Deprivation leads to serious Health Problems
We tend to think of lack of sleep as being something that can just leave us feeling tired a lot of the time, or ‘off our game’ at work or school, but it can be much more serious than that. Not only can lack of sleep badly compromise your judgement and lead to serious accidents on the road or in the workplace, but some of those severe health issues that men wrestle with all the time can be a direct result of sleep deprivation too.
These include heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure or an irregular heartbeat – and if not directly affecting the heart, it can be responsible for the high blood pressure or hypertension that leads to heart attacks, as well as strokes.
Even diabetes has been said to be attributed to sleep deprivation and according to some estimates, 90% of people with insomnia also have another serious health condition! Suffice to say then that lack of sleep is not something to be trifled with.
Lack of sleep can lower the libido and lead to depression
Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame for a lowered libido too, or a compromised sex drive, a matter of very serious concern to men and this can of course lead to depression, another common symptom of sleep deprivation for both men and women.
What can we do about it?
Sleep deprivation is most commonly associated with stress and a mind that is far too active. After a while, a pattern emerges and one finds it more and more difficult to ‘switch off’ when wanting to sleep.
Dealing with stress by taking walks and long baths, meditation, massages etc can all help to put one into a better frame of mind for sleep. It is also essential to ensure the room temperature assists a lowered body temperature, that the room is dark and comfortable and that there are no disturbances when going to bed.
Failing all this, we would suggest there are excellent sleep clinics available for treatment and would advise that you seek their help as sleep deprivation is not something that can be ignored.
Truform supports you in every way
So, all you moustache growers, get out there and do it! We support you all just as we support everyone who treasures a good night’s sleep with our mattresses that offer comfort, support and excellent value.Truform is practically a South African institution after 35 years of developing some of the best mattresses in the country. Find a store near you to try one out – or talk to us directly – we are there for you and have been ‘the comfortable choice’ since 1984.