Tossing and turning.

Waking at every sound.

The unstoppable 2AM brain rampage...

Sleeplessness effects a large percentage of the world’s population. In the US, the number stands at 70 million, according to a recent study.

Even if you don’t suffer from clinical insomnia, we all know the effects of a single night without sleep: fatigue, cognitive difficulties, physical lethargy… snapping at the spouse, the kids, and the gerbil. But as long as we get a good night of sleep occasionally, (or maybe just a quintuple shot of espresso) the problem is gone, right?

Apparently not.

A recent study discussed the oscillating cycle in the brain that powers the removal of metabolic wastes (the glymphatic system.)¹ Insufficient sleep means insufficient removal. When these waste products build up, or are allowed to linger, they increase the risk of mental issues including cognitive decline and dementia.

Furthermore, sleeplessness effects our overall health, negatively impacting everything from BMI to immunity. Researchers have even found an inverse relationship between amount of sleep and collagen production. In other words, not sleeping enough can give you wrinkles.²

So what’s the good news?

That it’s avoidable, and for most of us, easily so.

Some people sleep better with silence, others with white noise. Finding your brain’s preference and sticking to it can assist in the depth and quality of sleep. Speaking of sticking to it, a consistent schedule is equally important. Due to our body’s inherent circadian rhythm, proper duration of sleep is even more valuable if it’s reliably timed. Reducing both light and temperature can help, and as much as we love our devices, it’s usually best to keep them out of the bedroom.³

But really, for most of us, the problem is simply prioritization. Everything in our waking lives seems more important, so we stay up to late, and even when we finally crawl into bed, we lay awake thinking about the things we “should be” doing instead.

But quality sleep is the thing we should be doing, right? Because we need it. Not only does it help prevent all sorts of ailments, but it improves engagement and productivity in most other areas of our lives. The author has slept poorly most of his life, so he understands the struggles we all face when trying to correct this issue…

If you’ve read many corporate blogs, you may be waiting for the turn. The segue that brings us from sleepless nights to a product pitch.

There isn’t one.

We build medical devices because we care about health. This blog is just another way to show that.

Sleep well.

               Transonic Systems, Inc              

                              The Measure of Better Results

References:

1. How might sleep aids like Ambien affect brain health?
2. 13 Effects of Sleep Deprivation
3. Sleep hygiene: Simple practices for better rest - Harvard Health