Tackling the Problem of Sleep Deprivation When Lights Are Off

Tackling the Problem of Sleep Deprivation When Lights Are Off

Lack of sleep among individuals in itself is not a disease. It results from life circumstances and other illnesses that can ultimately result in poor health. A good number of the world population always sleep with lights off. However, some individuals cannot sleep with lights off. The majority of these individuals have a unique medical condition known as insomnia. Studies have indicated that close to 60 million individuals within the united states alone experience insomnia annually (Yurasek, Miller, Pritschmann, Curtis & McCrae2020). This represents just a fraction of the world population experiencing such conditions and need their lights on throughout the night to have a good sleep. Some solutions have been identified within this paper that can help these individuals in their sleep and ensure they

Problem Scenario Identification and Description

Health-wise it is recommended that an adult should have at least eight hours of sleep every day.  However, darkness at night causes individuals with insomnia to have a poor quality of sleep, which further generates more health-related problems to them. Some of the health-related problems may occur immediately, while some may occur in the long run.

Among the medical challenges these individuals face are increased risk of depression and mental illness as well as increased risk of heart diseases. These individuals also experience severe mood swings and hallucinations. Additionally, these individuals also experience drowsiness, impaired memory, and reduced physical strength as well as laziness, which affect their work performances during the day (Roughead, Kalisch Ellett, Ramsay, Pratt, Barratt, LeBlanc, Ryan, Peck, Killer & Gilbert, 2013).

To ensure that they have a good night sleep and avoid such health-related problems, these individuals must always sleep while the lights are on. Economically it is not good in terms of power consumption. Also, it interferes with other individuals’ sleeping routines since some of the individuals with insomnia always share sleeping rooms with others. And in some cases, some of these individuals need to turn the lights off for them to have a good nhttps://studygroom.com/benefits-of-online-yoga-from-glo-for-new-moms/ight sleep.

Alternatives Currently Employed

Currently, individuals curb this problem of lack of sleep at night when lights are off by wearing headphones and playing soft soothing music that can help their muscles to relax and fall asleep. Though, individuals using headphones to help their muscles relax will eventually fall asleep. They always wake up regularly at night, which affects the quality of their sleep (Cronkleton, 2019). Individuals also use over the counter medications like melatonin and valerian. Melatonin helps in regulating an individual’s sleep-wake cycle. However, it is not quite effective as it does not work for everyone. On the same note, though valerian helps individuals to sleep, its quality varies, which presents a challenge in terms of its effectiveness.

Additionally, some individuals use glow light to help them through the night. Glow lights always keep the room dimly lit to help individuals with insomnia have a good night sleep. However, it is relatively expensive and out of reach for some individuals, as it costs at least $129 (Casper.com, 2020).

The “Commercial/Societal/Environmental/Ethical” Need for a New Solution

Affordability and effectiveness in enhancing the quality of sleep are essential for any solution proposed to help in curbing the current problem. Though there are different solutions that individuals have been using to help them sleep, there are various shortcomings associated with each solution. These shortcomings include ineffectiveness and challenges of affordability as well as triggering allergic reactions, as seen in the case of melatonin.

The utilization of the Fitbit watch can be quite effective and affordable. The sleep log is a Fitbit application that can be used to regulate the light disseminated by a table lamp. The Fitbit watch has a detector that can record deep sleep and light sleep. When connected to a table lamp, the sensor can record deep sleep and light sleep log and then send the informato0n to the lamp so that the lamplight can turn off completely. These devices can be afforded with as little as $30 (Fitbit.com, 2020).

The Solution Identification Process

In identifying the possible solutions to this problem, we first understood the problem regarding its nature and impact on the society. Then we ensured all our interests were aligned together by identifying our objectives, which were finding an affordable and effective solution to this problem. We then embarked on brainstorming viable solutions that were in line with our objectives. We then evaluated each option and selected the Fitbit watch as it closely matched our objectives.

Potential Solutions

There are other possible solutions to this problem. The first possible solution is the use of lamplight with timer. These kinds of lamp lights enable individuals to set the time in which they need the lights to be off.  When the set time is approaching, the lamp starts reducing its light and eventually turns off. The second solution is the use of phone applications that can be connected to table lamps. Individuals can control and manage the light levels as well as the time in which the lights are to go off. The third potential solution is the use of dream headband. The dream headband helps insomnia patients to sleep by monitoring their brain waves in real-time and then stimulate sound at precise moments to sync with slow-wave activity while they are asleep. It uses bone-conduction technology whereby sounds are transmitted via the skull, and not the ear canal, meaning they don’t have to wear headphones (Sleepgadgets.io, 2018).

References

Casper.com. (2020). The Glow Light — Our Magical Sleep Light. The Best Bed for Better Sleep | Casper®. https://casper.com/glow-light/

Cronkleton, E. (2019). 8 Insomnia Home Remedies: Exercises, Oils, and More. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/insomnia-home-remedies#mindfulness-meditation

Fitbit.com. (2020). Shop Smartwatches, Fitness Trackers, and More | Fitbit. Fitbit Official Site for Activity Trackers & More. https://www.fitbit.com/us/products

Roughead, E. E., Kalisch Ellett, L. M., Ramsay, E. N., Pratt, N. L., Barratt, J. D., LeBlanc, V. T., Ryan, P., Peck, R., Killer, G., & Gilbert, A. L. (2013). Bridging evidence-practice gaps: improving the use of medicines in elderly Australian veterans. BMC Health Services Research, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-514

Sleepgadgets.io. (2018, November 14). Sleep Aid Devices For Insomnia and Relaxation. SleepGadgets.io. https://sleepgadgets.io/sleep-aid-devices-insomnia

Yurasek, A. M., Miller, M. B., Pritschmann, R. K., Curtis, A. F., & McCrae, C. S. (2020). Negative mood as a mediator of the association between insomnia severity and marijuana problems in college students. Journal of Sleep Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12985