Top 8 Reasons Why You Can't Sleep
Can’t Sleep? Is a good night's sleep the first thing you sacrifice when life gets too full and busy? If so, this is your wake-up call: You're not just sabotaging your next day's performance, but you're actually harming your health.
8 Reasons Why You Might Be Struggling With Your Sleep Below are 8 reasons why you might be struggling with your sleep. 1. Your room isn't dark enough 2. Exercising too late 3. Drinking alcohol too late 4. Trying to problem-solve in the middle of the night 5. Eating protein too close to bedtime 6. Smoking before bedtime. 7. Your bedroom is a mess 8. Your mattress isn't actually comfortable
Your Room Isn't Dark Enough
Street lights, TV standby button, notification light on your smartphone and even digital alarm clocks could all be a factor in keeping you awake. Make sure you’re using blackout blinds or heavy lined curtains to block out outside light. Switch off the TV at the mains and don’t be tempted to charge your mobile phone in the bedroom. Even this small amount of light disrupts your internal body clock and decreases your melatonin production, making you feel less sleepy.
Exercising Too Late Exercise is great at helping you sleep better… but for some people, the time of day they exercise can have the opposite effect by revving up their minds and keeping them awake. If you exercise within three hours of trying to sleep, you'll over stimulate your metabolism and raise your heart rate causing restlessness and frequent awakenings throughout the night.
Drinking Alcohol Too Late While alcohol may relax you and make you feel sleepy, it is a big culprit in sleep interference. Not only does it act as a diuretic, but it also leads to dehydration. You’ll also find that while you initially fall asleep quickly, your sleep is shallower so you don’t feel as rested when you wake.
Trying To Problem-solve In The Middle Of The Night Whether its worries over work, finances, health or family, feeling anxious in bed leads to difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep. The first step is to write down any worries, or even your to-do list, before you go to bed as it helps to clear the mind. Next practice some deep breathing exercises, meditation or even some gentle yoga to relax the body. Once you’re in bed, if you find you can’t sleep don’t just lie there worrying. Get up and go do something else relaxing (read a book or listen to some soothing music) in a dimly lit room for 10/15 minutes.
Eating Protein Too Close To Bedtime
Protein requires a lot of energy to digest, and that keeps your digestive system churning away while you're trying to sleep -- bad combination. Better to have a light carbohydrate snack.
Smoking Before Bedtime Studies have shown that smokers find it both harder to fall asleep and to wake up, and that smoking decreases the quality of the sleep they get when they do manage to nod off. The obvious solution is to quit cigarettes, though be aware that nicotine withdrawal is known to spark insomnia. The good news is that it's likely to clear up within weeks, tops.
Your Bedroom Is A Mess A cluttered bedroom makes for a cluttered mind. Don’t use it as a dumping ground for the rest of the house. Put laundry away, move any filing into another room and tidy up. Your bedroom should be a sanctuary, somewhere you can go to turn off and relax.
Your Mattress Isn't Actually Comfortable
If you’re hopping onto an old mattress that doesn’t offer much support, creaks and groans and sags in the middle, then chances are you won’t be experiencing the best quality sleep.
We’ll Help You Sleep Better At Night. Every Night. Without Drugs Just as your body needs food, air and water your body also needs sleep! To survive you must sleep! The Center for Sleep Medicine has medical doctors who are board certified in sleep medicine, clinical psychologists, dental sleep experts and other health professionals who can help your body get the restorative sleep it needs. Book Your Appointment now!