Have you ever been so tired you attempted to do some simple, everyday task like pour yourself a coffee, but instead you ended up pouring the milk straight into the coffee jar and not the mug you had prepared on the bench right next to it?
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We've probably all had an experience like this, one you can look back on and laugh at, but for some, sleep deprivation is no joke.
For Dubbo's Michael Harrod, sleep deprivation started to affect his mental well-being so much he had contemplated ending his life- fortunately for Mr Harrod, that was his turning point.
Mr Harrod developed insomnia and therefore was struggling with sleep deprivation, which he believes stemmed from the shift work he'd been doing, in conjunction with stress and anxiety.
"It's like you have two personalities," Mr Harrod said.
"You become moody, and you feel rage.
You mean like spraying air freshener under your arm instead of deodorant?
- Mike Gee, Central West.
"It's like, someone looks at you the wrong way, and you want to throw them down a set of stairs, and then I think, that's not me, I wouldn't hurt a fly.
"When I'm better, I'm a really approachable guy, I'm nice and helpful, and I know that because I'm very aware of how I come across to people.
"When I'm sleep deprived, I'm an arsehole, to be honest.
"You turn into this monster, and you do things you normally wouldn't do. I'm surprised I haven't had my nose broken by someone yet."
I feel constantly drained and tired. I go to bed at a reasonable hour only to toss and turn constantly. Either with pain or stress or both.
- Linda Negfeldt, Central West.
Mr Harrod said he believes mental health and fatigue go hand-in-hand and it may even be a leading cause of the rapidly high suicide statistics in Australia and worldwide, particularly in men, or those who are in shift work.
"There are a lot of reasons for someone to be sleep-deprived, mothers who have just had babies, but for me, it's shift work. Surviving on four or fewer hours of sleep a night," he said.
"It's in our DNA to want to sleep when the sun goes down, but unfortunately we live in a world that runs 24/7, and when your mind races all night, and it won't switch off, it drives you crazy, but men, in particular, will try and fight through it. It's scary, realising how much people are running themselves into the ground."
Mr Harrod told the Daily Liberal his story to raise awareness around the issue, which he believes is so important to address, and to spread the message that "your well-being should be the most important thing to you, not money, or what people think of you."
"People don't understand what they can't see. If your not in a wheelchair or wearing a cast they think it's all in your head, and I'm like yeah, it is in my head," he said.
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"That doesn't mean the pain hurts any less."
Mr Harrod has since turned his life around, quitting his job in shift work, and said Lifeline and Suicide Prevention Australia had been helpful to him when he was at his breaking point. Anyone experiencing similar thoughts can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Suicide Prevention on 9262 1130.
Australasia Sleep Health Foundation spokesperson Professor Alister Neill is urging community members to educate themselves on the importance of getting regular quality sleep as Sleep Awareness Week 2019 nears.
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The Sleep Health Foundation is Australia's leading advocate for sleep health and aims to improve people's lives by promoting healthy sleep and raising awareness of sleep disorders, and by running campaigns such as Sleep Awareness Week which begins on August 5. Health specialists use Sleep Awareness Week to highlight concerns that too many people are living with undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders that steal their health and happiness.
Sleep what is sleep?
- Natalie Moffatt, Orange.
"It's a sad fact that more than a third of adults have sleeping problems, but it's even more concerning that most of them are suffering through their bad sleep and waking unrefreshed without realising help is at hand," Professor Neill said.
"Poor sleep is adversely affecting their health, their mood, their relationships, their diet, their driving, their motivation to exercise and their ability to do their job safely and effectively. Just about every aspect of life suffers."
According to the Sleep Foundation, studies show sleep problems like disrupted sleep, inadequate sleep duration, daytime fatigue, excessive sleepiness and irritability are experienced by 25-35 per cent of all adults daily.
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Professor Neill said about half of these problems can be attributed to specific treatable sleep disorders, particularly insomnia and the obstructive sleep apnea. The remainder is primarily due to poor sleep habits or choices to sleep less.
In Australia, specific sleep disorders cost the economy $5.1 billion a year, including $800 million in direct health care costs.
"Sound sleep is a critical function of good health along with a balanced diet and adequate exercise," Professor Neill said.
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"If you're not getting it, then your health and happiness will be bearing the brunt. Your sleep needs to be uninterrupted, long enough to feel rested and alert the next day and deep enough to be restorative and refreshing."
Professor Neill said he hopes people can use Sleep Awareness Week to think about their sleep habits, and consider what effect environmental conditions like temperature, noise, light, bed comfort, and electronic devices could be having on them.
Headspace: Sleep tips
With Sleep Awareness Week looming, August 5 to August 11, NSW Central West headspace clinicians in Lithgow, Orange, Bathurst and Dubbo have accumulated their top quality sleep tips. According to headspace, good sleep is like a mental health superpower.
- At least an hour before bed, turn off video games, YouTube and social media.
- Lower the brightness on your phone and computer screens at night.
- An extra hour, every now and then, is fine - but any more can confuse your body clock.
- If you need to get up during the night try to avoid turning on bright lights and hop back into bed quickly.
- If you can, avoid napping during the day.
- Take note; You've heard of counting sheep - have you thought about counting your sleep? It'll let you work out how much rest you're currently getting, notice patterns of poor sleep quality and help you see how much sleep you're getting over time.
- Meditate- it's a shortcut to dreamland. Body scan meditations - which involve observing the feelings in each part of your body - can help reduce anxiety and get you to sleep quicker
- Watch out for substances; Caffeine: A lot of us don't realise how long caffeine can stay in your system. Avoid coffee, tea and energy drinks six hours before going to bed. The caffeine in dark chocolates can also give you trouble sleeping.
- Alcohol: Bedtime drinks might seem to help you get to sleep quicker, but alcohol actually reduces your quality of sleep during the night, and can skew the balance between different sleep types.