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We have all experienced sleep
deprivation for various reasons at different points in our lives and we will
most likely experience it again. Sleep deprivation is especially prevalent in
shift workers who work the second or third shift, families who are dealing with
a baby battling
infant colic, snoring bed partners, the neighbor’s barking dogs, and even
the noisy neighbors themselves. Whatever the reason one may not be able to get
a proper night’s sleep, it’s happening everyday.
But what about those who feel
that 3-4 hours sleep is enough for them because the world is not allowing them
more? The truth is that it isn’t enough. Sure, if you’re dealing with
something such as infant colic, you know that you are lucky to get 3-4 hours of
sleep, but it is amazing how many people actually feel that a few hours is
enough. In all reality, sleep has an impact on our physical and mental
well-being. Even though someone may feel as if the few hours of sleep they have
received is sufficient, the body really needs around 7-8 hours of sleep to fully
function.
This makes sleep a very important
part of our lives because our chemical balances are restored to prepare us for a
new day. However, in order for those chemical balances to be restored, we must
go through the 4 stages of sleep that start at light sleep and continue until
deep sleep is reached. Alpha, beta, and delta brain waves become present during
these 4 stages, but when we don’t get sufficient sleep, such as when the noisy
neighbors start yelling in the middle of the night or their barking dogs start
barking at their shadows, alpha waves can slow delta waves. When this occurs,
you may feel considerably more tired than you did when you went to bed.
Take the shift worker who has to
work the second or third shift, for instance. They are either going to have to
sleep into the afternoon hours or sleep throughout the better part of the day,
depending on which late shift they are working. The problem with working these
shifts is that the workers are sleeping while the world is wide awake. This
results in aggravation toward the noisy neighbors who are not being noisy at
inappropriate times and toward barking dogs that are expected to bark during the
daylight hours. This makes it hard to get the 7-8 hours of sleep that the body
needs, but it isn’t the fault of those making the noise or the fault of the one
trying to get the sleep.
That is why there are products
like the
Marpac SleepMate 980 and pure digital
white noise cd's on the market that target those such as shift workers who
encounter a lot of noise while they’re trying to sleep. These products also
target people with a snoring bed partner, barking dogs, and noisy neighbors.
These are all factors that are outside of the control of the sleep deprived, so
having something such as a white noise
sound machine to mask the noise is not a bad investment toward getting a
good night’s sleep.
It is because of these products,
noise masking is becoming a common practice of those who are looking to get
the required sleep but encounter a lot of noise throughout their attempt.
However, it was the need of those needing sleep that prompted the development
of these products. There are many good
articles and
resources available on the various sleep related products which are proven to be
effective in achieving a better nights sleep.
Through creating a comforting
sound that masks out all other sound pollution, a sound machine can help you
mask the noisy neighbors, the barking dogs, the snoring bed partner, and the
loud cars racing down the street. You never know, you just might encounter the
best sleep you’ve ever had. You might just end up feeling really good.
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