You hear it on the news all the time – people who sleep better, live longer. A good night’s sleep is associated with a long list of benefits, from preventing car accidents to increasing metabolism, not to mention helping to prevent heart attacks and even cancer. But what if you find it hard to sleep? You might know the reason – maybe you have a new baby, a snoring spouse, or noisy neighbors – but often you might not. If you find yourself waking up at night and you’re not sure why, you might be affected by one of these uncommon sleep disrupters.
1. Pain
This might sound obvious if it’s an extreme sort of pain like headaches or menstrual cramps. But other kinds of pain can keep us awake, even ones we’re not fully aware of. If your mattress is bothering your back, your sleep position is affecting your knees, your pillows are straining your neck, or any number of slight discomforts, the signals that your brain is sending to your body could wake you up.
2. You’re Allergic
The quality of the air in your bedroom could be affecting you, especially if you tend to breathe through your mouth instead of your nose – resulting in an irritated dry mouth. Spores from open windows and moisture in the air can really bother you at night. So can pet dander, if you have a cat or dog who spends at least part of the night lying on your bed too.
3. You’re Exhausted Instead of Tired
Everyone has experienced the feeling of being too tired to fall asleep, when the truth is, you might not have been tired at all. Physical exhaustion can often accompany mental alertness – similar to what happens to your body after an intense workout. Just because your body is tired, doesn’t mean you need sleep – in fact it might make it more difficult.
4. Medications , Supplements, and Caffeine
Prescriptions for all kinds of conditions, from depression to high blood pressure, can contain caffeine or chemicals related to caffeine. Dietary supplements, including B12 and anything designed to help with energy, can also be keeping you awake at night. Also, it’s common to avoid caffeinated drinks before bedtime, but most people don’t realize that even caffeine you consume in the morning can have lasting effects all day.
5. Smoking and Drinking
Though alcohol can initially make you very sleepy, it causes exponentially more arousals during the night – more than you will probably remember in the morning. Also, the later at night that you drink, the more severe effects it can have on your brain and your sleep patterns. Smoking also causes many more arousals due to nicotine withdrawal.
Cutting out many of the habits that might be leading you to lose sleep can improve brain function, increase creativity, and improve your memory. The benefits of a good night’s sleep are many, but most important of all could be that people who get enough sleep are happier. Being more prepared to face the day can make all the difference when it comes to living a healthier life.
Linda Knighton writes for FallingAsleep.net where you’ll find some really nice tips on sleeping.
