”Sleep deprivation is a serious medical risk, but few people are aware of that," says Joyce Walsleben, Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine. Sleep deprivation can increase the risks of Type II diabetes, stroke, heart problems and high blood pressure. Because of the risk of sleep deprivation, here are four things that don’t belong in the bedroom – work, electronic devices, food and pets.
Pillow as workstation?
Using a pillow as a desk for a laptop or tablet is common practice among students and adults alike who bring work home. In fact, 80 percent of young people admit to using their beds as workstations. And folks who are obsessive about work and extend their workday well into the night will, at times, work in the bedroom. All are big no-nos.
These practices condition the brain to expect to work in bed. It stimulates and stresses the brain, and that action keeps the body awake. And although a person may think he or she is fully awake, it could just be a transitional state of drifting in and out of a very light slumber. This state affects judgment and makes it harder to refocus obsessive thinking. So get out of bed and move to another part of the house – it usually stops anxious thoughts and shifts them elsewhere. Stop associating the bed with stimulation from work, and you'll be better able to relax.
Stress is the number-one cause of short-term sleep problems. It is important to learn to deal with stress in a healthy way and to not bring it to bed with you. The goal is to have the brain recognize the bed as a place for sleep and sex.