Sleep is one of the most important things we can give ourselves to benefit our overall health and wellbeing, so putting time and effort into getting good, comfortable and effective sleep is important to us. It can be frustrating to lie in bed trying to fall asleep and not be able to, and this frustration can exacerbate the problem and lead to you tossing and turning at night, unable to get a good night’s rest. There are often simple causes for this that we can look at and try and improve on to help us get the best night’s sleep possible. Here are five of the most common reasons we might not be sleeping very well.
Your Sleep Schedule Might Be Too Erratic
Creating a normal sleep schedule that has you generally going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day can lead to an immediate improvement in sleep. This is because your body has an internal rhythm that you can adapt. Once your body is used to your consistent bedtime, it will start to ready itself to fall asleep and stay asleep until your consistent waking up time. Where possible, it’s always a good idea to try and stick to these times.
You’re Eating or Drinking too Close to Bedtime
If you’re eating too close to hitting the hay, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Not only can the process of digesting food lead to your body not falling asleep but if the food or beverage you choose has stimulants in it, you’re likely to be kept awake by them. Caffeine and foods high in sugar are both very bad for sleep, and you should avoid them and any big meals for at least a few hours before bed time.
You Might Be Under a Lot of Stress
Stress is a big cause of loss of sleep. Worrying about something or being stressed about something means your mind is racing and you’re probably, to some degree or another, obsessing about whatever it is that you are worrying about. This is because the stress and worry manifests as anxiety, which has physical implications to your body, like increased heart rate and perspiration, both of which are going to impact the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Seeking professional help or learning coping mechanisms for stress and dealing with chronic stress can help improve the quality of your sleep.
Your Mattress Might Need Replacing
A worn mattress, or one that isn’t providing enough support for your body can quickly lead to a bad night’s sleep. Mattresses have many different technologies and types to best support your specific needs and if you have one that isn’t enough for your height or weight, you might end up wearing it out quicker than you should. If you’re struggling with sleep, consider a new mattress, particularly because you can save cash with the Cyber Monday mattress sale that happens around this time of year.
Your Bedroom Might Need Some Changes
Your sleep problems could be attributed to something as simple as your bedroom not being conducive to good sleep too. Make sure your room is cool and not too stuffy. Try and keep a window open if you can. Make sure that your room is dark enough and you don’t have any electronics emitting light, particularly bright power LEDs that can distract you.
With some small changes to our sleeping environment and our behavior leading up to bedtime, we can greatly improve the quality of our sleep which can put us in a better, more productive mood during the day and increase our overall health and wellbeing.
