Nothing ruins your day more promptly or with more vengeance than waking up feeling tired. We dread our alarms on the best of days but, when we’ve had a restless night’s sleep, the rude sounding of your alarm can be enough to have you feeling simply murderous. A poor night’s sleep every now and then is nothing out of the ordinary but, if you’re spending more than one night a week tossing and turning, there may be cause for more serious concern. There are several major lifestyle factors that can affect the amount and quality of your sleep.
Learning about the lifestyle factors that could be affecting your nightly sleep is the first step to helping you address them so that you’ll be able to get the quality sleep you deserve.
You’ve Changed Your Medications
One clear culprit that could be interfering with your sleep is the medication you’ve been taking. If your doctor has prescribed you medication then it’s important that you keep taking it as directed however, in spite of your doctors best intentions, some medications have adverse side effects including causing sleep disruptions. Common medications for run-of-the-mill health conditions such as asthma, the common cold, flu and high blood pressure can cause insomnia. Consult your doctor about the side-effects of your medication and, if you are concerned, ask about the possibility of changing your medication or reducing the dosage.
Your Bedroom Is Working Against You
As anyone who has ever experienced a long-haul flight in the economy-class of a budget airline can tell you, when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, your environment is everything! Research shows us that, the best environments for sleeping are dark, quiet and should be between 15° and 18°C. So if you consider investing in blackout curtains, an eye mask, earplugs, double-glazed windows, a white noise machine, a fan or air conditioning then, with just a few simple purchases, you will be well on your way to a deeper and more restful night’s sleep.
You’re Stressed Out
We know what you’re thinking, how could you not be stressed out at a time like this! Whilst that’s a very fair point and we totally agree, there are ways to reduce stress just before bedtime. The science behind stress is as follows: when you start to feel stressed, your autonomic nervous system is triggered and releases hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. When these hormones travel to your heat they raise your heart rate and amplify blood circulation to your vital organs and muscles. Your body does all this to prepare itself for immediate action which is why you often feel agitated and jittery. If you’re feeling stressed about work, current events or perhaps a personal matter you should try and take a break and put the matter out of mind for the hour before you go to sleep. Turn off your phone, don’t check the news, read a book, meditate and use this hour to do everything you can to try and calm down. As hard it might seem to calm down like this, it might be just the ticket that will help you have the best night’s sleep you’ve had in ages!
You Might Have A Serious Condition
If you’ve read through the lifestyle factors listed above and found that none of them are responsible for your loss of sleep, you may have a sleep disorder. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea are caused by difficulty breathing and taking in oxygen overnight, this can, in turn, interrupt your sleeping patterns and keep you awake. Whilst a sleep disorder is undeniably more serious than the factors listed above, it is no cause for major concern. Many respiratory sleep disorders can be easily treated with the use of CPAP machines and other medical technologies which are designed to help those suffering from sleep disorders take in more oxygen and have a fuller night’s sleep. To learn more about CPAP head here.
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