Adrenal fatigue used to be considered a rare disorder, but it appears to be on the rise. According to data from the United States department of health, about four out of 100,000 people were estimated to have it in 2014. However, the prevalence of adrenal but fatigue appears to be on the rise. It is particularly common among young adults, because they are more likely to be overworked and don’t follow the same healthy lifestyle choices as older adults. It could be a serious problem in years to come. Fortunately, new research is helping us identify ways to fight it. “There are no absolutely accurate statistics available, but the US Department of Health estimates its prevalence at about four in every 100,000 people. To test for this condition, patients undergo a blood test for serum cortisol levels.” Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can reduce your likelihood of developing adrenal fatigue. Here are some important tips to follow. Aviva Romm, a Yale-trained, board-certified family physician specializing in integrative women’s health and obstetrics, reports that chronic fatigue is very high. Approximately 38% of women suffer from it. Many of these patients may be undiagnosed with adrenal fatigue. Avoid Oversleeping on Weekends According to a meta-analysis from Ann E. Rogers.of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, studies have shown that people sleep about 23% less today than in year’s past. “Studies suggest that average sleep durations have decreased from 9 hours in 1910 to as little as 6.9 hours on workdays in 2002.2–6 Objective measurements, however, suggest that mean sleep times may actually be somewhat lower than are typically reported in surveys. For example, 273 randomly selected middle-aged residents of San Diego (40 to 64 years) reported sleeping approximately 7 hours, an amount that appeared to correspond to their time in bed. Mean sleep times obtained from wrist actigraphy, however, revealed that participants slept on average 6.22 hours, approximately 43 minutes less than their subjective reports.” Rogers goes on to explain that these people often sleep in on the weekends to make up for their sleep deficit. Unfortunately, this only exacerbates the problem. Oversleeping during the weekend throws your body rhythms off, which leads to further sleep problems down the road. The best bet is to follow a consistent sleep pattern. While it can be difficult to sleep easily when you have to work late, there are lot of things that you can to do to make things better. Here are two of the most important things that you can do to reduce sleep problems:
- Stop using your electronics within a couple hours of bedtime. They trick your brain into thinking that it is still daytime, which makes falling asleep nearly impossible. A recent study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has shown that even if patients get a full night’s rest, these devices damage their sleep quality, so they don’t wake up refreshed.
- According to a 2012 study presented at Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) in July 2012 eating fatty foods late at night significantly reduces a patient’s ability to sleep.
While it may seem impossible to get a decent night’s sleep, it will be much easier if you take the right steps. Perform Smarter, Not Harder People often suffer from adrenal fatigue because they invest too much time and energy on activities. They would feel less fatigued if they were more efficient and tried to get the most out of the hours they worked. Using products such as CogniTune can help boost performance, so you don’t need to feel that they invest so much time and energy. Try to Lose Weight Losing weight may seem impossible, but there are a lot of things you can do to improve it. Research has shown a strong correlation between obesity and adrenal fatigue. According to a multi-disciplinary study from the University of Bristol, 16 year-olds with obesity were 16% more likely to suffer from chronic fatigue. Follow-up studies show the correlation appears to be even stronger with adults with obesity, since their bodies have more difficulty dealing with the stress. Finding ways to lose weight is important. Find More Downtime Finding ways to relax is very important if you want to keep yourself from feeling overburdened. You must schedule regular breaks and take all vacation time afforded by your employer. This is particularly important in the United States, where people tend to work much longer hours. It is embedded in the culture, so people need to focus on ways to change it. Fortunately, new studies have shown that younger works prioritize more time off over making more money, which may change the workplace dynamic and make things easier for everyone.