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It feels so good to wake up in the morning fully energized and ready to face the day ahead. But for many of us, sleep is an elusive wish. In order to figure out a way to sleep better, you’ll need to find what keeps you from sleeping well. Today we’ll look at 5 reasons why you can’t sleep, so you can take action and get better zzzz….s.
Table of Contents
The Importance Of Good Sleep
Sleep benefits
Having a good night’s sleep makes you more focused on the things that are going on around you. It helps bring out a positive attitude, which is significant to your health, beauty and relationships.
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), the recommended range of sleep of people from 18-64 years old is 7-9 hours and 6 hours being acceptable in certain situations.
Side effects of lack of sleep
If you’re getting less than the minimum required hours, it can have harmful implications for your physical and emotional state.
- Lack of sleep affects your attitude by making you grumpy and unfocused.
- It impairs your ability to think wisely and stops you from performing your best at work.
- It also kills your sex drive and leaves the romance dry, which can be bad for your relationship.
- Since your skin and your whole body automatically change from protection mode during the daytime to repair and renewal mode at night, “lack of sleep causes blood vessels to dilate, causing the look of dark circles,” explains dermatologist Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco. One all-nighter can lead to pimples and dark circles. Aside from being painful and unattractive, developing any of these conditions is sure to cause suffering and result in even more sleep loss!
- Sleep deprivation suppresses your immune system which can make you more prone to illnesses and infections.
Why Can’t I Sleep? 5 Reasons Why You Can’t Sleep And Are Missing Out On A Good Night’s Rest
Sleep is vital to life. If something is preventing you from hitting the sack, you have to do something about it. Here are 5 sleep thieves that you should be aware of.
#1) Electronic gadgets
Stay away from your computer, smartphone, and tablet. You won’t be able to relax your mind if you’re checking from time to time how many likes your recent Facebook post got or if you’re too busy playing that online game.
If it’s possible, turn your tech off at least 2 hours before you sleep. Spend some quality time with your partner and talk about your day. If you’re single, well, count your blessings.
#2) Smoking
Contrary to what many people thought, smoking before bedtime does not calm your mind. According to a study conducted by the University of Florida and Research Triangle Park, researchers show that smokers have more trouble falling asleep compared to non-smokers. They also found out that for each cigarette smoked total sleep time decreased by 1.2 minutes.
The main culprit is the stimulant known as Nicotine. It is one of the most common causes of “drug-related” insomnia. Cigarettes leave you wired but restless. Moreover, it impairs your brain oxygen level, obstructing you from getting sleep. It will always be, as it has always been, forever dangerous to your health.
#3) Acid reflux and indigestion
Eating a heavy meal and drinking alcohol before bedtime can cause indigestion and acid reflux, which could leave you tossing and turning at night.
Based on a poll conducted by NSF, people experiencing heartburn are more likely to have sleeping problems and restlessness during the day. Therefore, it is advisable not to eat that much during dinner because your body won’t be that active again when you retire to bed. Also, it’s important not to drink alcoholic beverages 2 hours before bedtime.
#4) Drinking coffee
The main ingredient of coffee is caffeine which, like nicotine, is a well-known stimulant. For this reason, you should not be surprised if it keeps you alert at night. Scientifically speaking, it blocks your brain’s sleep-inducing chemicals and produces adrenaline that will keep you wide awake all night. It is recommended that you cut out caffeine as much as possible after lunchtime.
And instead of drinking coffee, drink some sleepy time tea.
Yogi Tea – Bedtime – Supports a Good Night’s Sleep
Bigelow Sweet Dreams Herbal Tea for Hot Tea or Iced TeaSleep Chamomile Lavender Caffeine-Free Herbal Tea
#5) Erratic bedtime routine
Your natural biological clock, also known as the Circadian Rhythm, is set to sleep at night. If you’re working graveyard and have a rotating shift schedule, it means that your body is working against its natural sleep-wake rhythm. When you disturb your sleep pattern, abnormalities happen. One of which is known as Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD), where the patient has some serious trouble adjusting to the demanded schedule at work. In order to deal with the problem, it is best to always observe a consistent sleep pattern that would allow you to get at least 6 hours of sleep every day.
If you still can’t sleep after following the recommendations, you might want to consider getting professional help. Do you find these tips helpful? Let us know what’s on your mind.
Authored by Anne Cacherell
Stopped reading when the attacks on smokers started. Its always been faulty science. Smoking has zero to do with a good nights sleep, oh and no, I dont smoke
There was no attacking smokers: just a fact related to them. If you don’t want to read, that’s OK: your life, your choice. But it’s been proven that smoking messes with your sleep. Here’s just one study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8078854 Do a search online and you’ll see many studies that prove that smoking disturbs sleep. Best wishes.