If you're like 48 percent of Americans, you're familiar with insomnia: the tossing and turning, the racing thoughts, the anxiety over how tired you'll be the next day.
But this video from The School Of Life, a London-based organization that offers classes and services related to emotional intelligence, offers a thought-provoking perspective. They suggest we give in to the occasional restless night -- and claim it can be a “form of revenge for all the many ideas we pushed away or could not entertain during the day, but that matter intensely.”
The word "revenge" may be a little harsh, but nighttime thinking can have some serious benefits. Researchers from Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan found that "night owls" may be better at coming up with creative solutions to problems than morning people.
Still, not getting enough sleep can be detrimental to health and happiness, and insomnia can be the result of underlying health problems. Finding a cure is important.
But if you do find yourself stuck with unwelcome anxious thoughts at night, try starting a worry journal. Jotting down your worries as they come to you -- or taking some time before bed to do so -- can get those thoughts out of your mind before your head hits the pillow.
Scheduling some wind-down time can also be crucial to a good night's rest.
"We are so busy nowadays that there's just not enough time in the day to get everything done. As a result, many people are working (housework, schoolwork, job tasks, managing finances) up until bedtime," Shelby Freedman Harris, Psy.D. wrote for YouBeauty.com. "The problem with this is that sleep isn't simply an on/off switch. We need to unwind and dim our mind in order to set the stage for sleep. Allow for at least an hour before bedtime to be protected, relaxing, wind-down time. This can help create closure for the day and allow your brain to begin the process of shutting off."
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Before You Go
The brain disorder, which occurs in about one in every 3,000 people, causes "extreme daytime sleepiness and sudden, irresistible bouts of sleep that can strike at any time," according to the National Institutes of Health.
Surfing the web, checking email or tweeting too close to bedtime, however, can send signals to your brain that disrupt the natural bedtime process and make it harder to drift off.
While many claim falling asleep to the TV helps them nod off, it can actually disrupt the sleep cycle. Your brain will still listen in on subtle changes in volume, even if you're asleep, Phillip Gehrman, Ph.D., CBSM, clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania told The Huffington Post.
That could account for Clooney's trouble staying asleep. "Without question, I wake every night five times," he said.
Whether or not she really meant she'd been awake for a solid 72 hours or simply didn't sleep well three nights in a row, sleep deprivation has real consequences. Among the most frightening is a decrease in reaction time, which, if you're driving, could prove deadly.
Sleep apnea, which occurs when someone temporarily stops breathing during sleep, is more common in people who are overweight and/or have thick necks. At 7'1" and 325 pounds, Shaq certainly fits the bill.
Sleep apnea is often treated with a ventilation therapy known as CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) that requires the snorer to sleep with a Darth Vader-esque mask. Shaq said he planned to wear his every night -- and joked he might wear it out on the town, too.
Reportedly among the ranks of mismatched sleep partners are musician and actor Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle, according to In Touch Weekly. A friend of the couple said "Kevin and Danielle had never spent a night together until their wedding night, so she had no clue that he snores so loudly. She loves her husband, but now she sleeps in a guest room when he gets too noisy."
Snorers can try sleeping on their sides instead of their backs, using a pillow or a tennis ball sewn into a T-shirt to stop them from rolling over.
That may be true, but Bullock's extreme sleep deprivation could actually hurt little Louis. Severely skimping on sleep has been linked with a greater risk of making serious mistakes in doctors, police officers, truckers and others in positions that require long hours. To ensure you're giving little ones the best care, you need to take care of yourself first.