Top Three Reasons Why You May Not Be Able to Sleep
Getting a sufficient amount of sleep seems to be harder and harder to come by as we grow older.
With work deadlines looming, relationships forming and fading, kids, jobs, decisions and a multitude of other responsibilities, we often put sleep at the bottom of our to-do list.
However, doctors everywhere warn that a lack of sleep can not only be detrimental to your next few days at the office, it can be very harmful for you and your health.
Recent studies have shown links between insufficient sleep and obesity, diabetes, infection, and cancer.
The good news is this risk factor can be taken out of the equation once and for all by getting that much needed rest.
There are three main causes for general insomnia and isolated bouts of restlessness.
These are anxiety, stimulants, and poor sleep hygiene.
The first, anxiety, accounts for most cases of restlessness.
If you get into bed and immediately find yourself pondering the days stressful events, or that argument you just had, it can be difficult to refocus your mind to something more calming.
This lack of ability to turn off your mind is something you have no control over while you are laying in bed.
You may not realize it but you are drifting in and out of a very light sleep state and your mind is only going to be mulling over whatever is stressing you.
When you feel this is happening, get out of bed and walk to another room in the house.
This is immediately refresh your mind enough to cope with the problem before going to bed.
Try coming up with at least one solution, however minor, before returning to bed.
The second cause of insomnia is stimulation.
Vigorous exercise, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine can all cause a person to sleep poorly.
Refrain from drinking caffeinated beverages at least 8 hours before bed, try not to exercise at least 2 hours before bed and avoid alcohol and nicotine immediately before bed.
Alcohol may make you sleepy but it leads to very poor sleep that the body does not benefit from.
Nicotine is a powerful stimulant.
If you must smoke, do not smoke at night.
The third, yet certainly not the least common, cause of insomnia is poor sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene is a combination of habits proven to help an individual get a better night's sleep.
The most important habit is having a sleep schedule.
Go to bed around the same time each night and get up the next morning around the same time every day.
Make your bedroom as dark and cool as you can and avoid harsh artificial light at night.
Getting plenty of natural light during the day and little light at night helps regulate melatonin production and melatonin is the chemical produced in your brain that helps you to sleep.
Anxiety, stimulants and poor sleep hygiene are the three most common causes for insomnia and restlessness.
Take careful note of your own habits and diagnose the cause for your own lack of sleep.
Consult a doctor if the problem doesn't seem to fit with another of the above categories.
With work deadlines looming, relationships forming and fading, kids, jobs, decisions and a multitude of other responsibilities, we often put sleep at the bottom of our to-do list.
However, doctors everywhere warn that a lack of sleep can not only be detrimental to your next few days at the office, it can be very harmful for you and your health.
Recent studies have shown links between insufficient sleep and obesity, diabetes, infection, and cancer.
The good news is this risk factor can be taken out of the equation once and for all by getting that much needed rest.
There are three main causes for general insomnia and isolated bouts of restlessness.
These are anxiety, stimulants, and poor sleep hygiene.
The first, anxiety, accounts for most cases of restlessness.
If you get into bed and immediately find yourself pondering the days stressful events, or that argument you just had, it can be difficult to refocus your mind to something more calming.
This lack of ability to turn off your mind is something you have no control over while you are laying in bed.
You may not realize it but you are drifting in and out of a very light sleep state and your mind is only going to be mulling over whatever is stressing you.
When you feel this is happening, get out of bed and walk to another room in the house.
This is immediately refresh your mind enough to cope with the problem before going to bed.
Try coming up with at least one solution, however minor, before returning to bed.
The second cause of insomnia is stimulation.
Vigorous exercise, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine can all cause a person to sleep poorly.
Refrain from drinking caffeinated beverages at least 8 hours before bed, try not to exercise at least 2 hours before bed and avoid alcohol and nicotine immediately before bed.
Alcohol may make you sleepy but it leads to very poor sleep that the body does not benefit from.
Nicotine is a powerful stimulant.
If you must smoke, do not smoke at night.
The third, yet certainly not the least common, cause of insomnia is poor sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene is a combination of habits proven to help an individual get a better night's sleep.
The most important habit is having a sleep schedule.
Go to bed around the same time each night and get up the next morning around the same time every day.
Make your bedroom as dark and cool as you can and avoid harsh artificial light at night.
Getting plenty of natural light during the day and little light at night helps regulate melatonin production and melatonin is the chemical produced in your brain that helps you to sleep.
Anxiety, stimulants and poor sleep hygiene are the three most common causes for insomnia and restlessness.
Take careful note of your own habits and diagnose the cause for your own lack of sleep.
Consult a doctor if the problem doesn't seem to fit with another of the above categories.
