Reasons Why You Can’t Sleep At Night

Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, resulting in unrefreshing or non-restorative sleep. The condition can be short-term (acute) or can last a long time (chronic). It may also come and go....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Chronic insomnia can even contribute to serious health problems. That makes it important for you to figure out what’s interrupting your sleep.

1. Age

As you age, your body produces lower levels of growth hormone, so you’ll likely experience a decrease in slow wave or deep sleep (an especially refreshing part of the sleep cycle). When this happens you produce less melatonin, meaning you’ll often experience more fragmented sleep and wake up more often during the night.

2. Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a common cause of waking in the middle of the night. It causes shallow breathing, which may cause a person to wake up several times per night. In many cases, a person will not even realize that their sleep is interrupted.

3. Alcohol

Some people use alcohol as a sleep aid. And though it may help in the short term, alcohol consumption, in excess or too close to bedtime, diminishes the quality of sleep, often leads to more waking throughout the night, and lessens time spent in REM sleep (the deepest and most restorative phase of sleep).

4. Stress

One effect of stress is that it can cause sleep deprivation. Frequently being in a heightened state of alertness can delay the onset of sleep and cause rapid, anxious thoughts to occur at night. Insufficient sleep can then cause further stress.

5. Poor sleep environment

Environmental conditions, such as temperature, noise, light, bed comfort and electronic distractions, play a significant role in one’s ability to get proper sleep and, subsequently, in overall sleep-related wellness.

6. Poor sleeping habits

Your sleep habits can also play a part in poor sleep. Habits that can make it harder to fall and stay asleep include staying up too late, watching television in bed, using your phone in bed, and having an irregular sleep schedule.

7. Eating too much late in the evening

When we eat late at night, the muscles that digest and metabolize our food have to keep working when they should be resting. This can delay your ability to fall asleep and can prevent you from getting the deep, restful stage of sleep you need to feel refreshed the next day.

8. Caffeine

Too much caffeine can keep you awake even when you’re ready to sleep. The key to this unwanted aftereffect is a compound called adenosine, a byproduct of neuron activity in the brain.

9. Medications

Certain medications can cause insomnia. If you’re having trouble sleeping, check the packaging of the meds you take or do some research to see if it’s a possible side effect. If it’s a supplement or over-the-counter drug, you can stop using it or try taking it at a different time of the day.

10. Sleeping for long periods in the afternoon

Short afternoon naps generally don’t affect nighttime sleep quality for most people. However, long or frequent afternoon naps might make it harder to fall asleep when going to bed in the evening…CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES>>>