Trouble Sleeping

Trouble Sleeping? Here’s What You Can Do To Fix It

To stay healthy, you need to get enough good quality sleep. It’s just as important as eating well and working out. We all know how hard it is to get through the day, even after missing just one night of sleep. You’re tired, cranky, and you can’t think straight. Long-term, it can affect your hormones, brain function and increase your risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

Maybe when you’re still up at 3 AM, counting sheep while staring at the ceiling, you think that you’ll never be able to get a proper night’s sleep, but you can, and you will. Here’s what you can do. 

First You Need a Sleep Schedule

Have you ever heard of the terms “morning person” and “night owl”? Of course you have. They’re widely used. A morning person is someone that goes to sleep early and wakes up full of energy. In contrast, night owls are used to feeling groggy every morning because they stayed up until late. They pull themselves out of bed and need to drink at least two cups of coffee before they can speak in coherent sentences. 

Well, these terms have a lot to do with a person’s circadian rhythm. The circadian or internal clock is a biological process that controls your sleeping patterns by getting your body to produce sleep-inducing hormones at the right time. It’s susceptible to external influence, which is why it’s so important to maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Even if it’s hard in the beginning, if you keep at it, after a few weeks, you’ll notice that your body has adjusted, and you get sleepy at the same time and wake up at about the same hour even if it’s the weekend and there’s no alarm. 

Create a Relaxing Sleeping Environment

You’re not going to get much sleep if you try to sleep in a bright and noisy room. Even if you do manage, you’ll probably wake up feeling less than refreshed. So what can you do about it? You could move to a quieter neighbourhood, but there are more convenient strategies you could try as well. To reduce the level of noise, you can get double-pane windows or add soundproofing panels and inserts to the ones you already have. If your bedroom is too bright, the easiest solution is to get heavy curtains. Heavy curtains also help make the room a little bit quieter. 

Then you have to make sure your bed is comfortable. If you can’t get into a comfortable position, you’ll keep moving in your sleep, which will prevent you from getting the rest you so badly crave. If your mattress and pillows are saggy, lumpy and quite obviously past their prime, make the investment and change them. 

The Right Sleepwear

What you wear during the night can also influence your sleep quality. Luckily, with so many loungewear sets to choose from, you’ll have no problem finding something to suit your style. Keep in mind that what matters most is comfort. Looser pyjamas, although less flattering than their tighter counterparts, move more easily over your body which is a big plus. You’ll also want to stay away from decorative elements like snaps and buttons that might irritate you while you’re trying to get some shut-eye. 

In terms of fabric, once again, it depends on what you feel good in. For example, silk may look very fancy, and it’s great for thermoregulation, but if you don’t like that slippery sensation while you sleep, it’s better to go for something else. 

All fabrics have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, cotton, one of the most popular options, is soft, lightweight and breathable, but it’s not that great at insulating or wicking away moisture. If you tend to sweat during the night, then you might want to try fabrics specially designed for this. Bamboo is a popular choice among environmentally conscious shoppers. 

And lastly, during the cold winter nights, you can switch to fabrics like flannel and wool.

Caffeine and Alcohol Don’t Go Well With Sleep  

Caffeine is a stimulant. That’s why it’s such a huge help when you’re feeling groggy in the morning. Or after lunch. Or in the afternoon. Or the whole day because you don’t get enough sleep. Caffeine works its magic by blocking adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a sleep-inducing neurotransmitter, so blocking it helps you feel more alert. Unfortunately, as we’ve all experienced, the effects are short-lived. But not as short-lived as you’d think. 

Although the effects are strongest after 30 to 60 minutes, caffeine has a half-life of 3 to 5 hours. You may not have enough in your system to feel energized, but what’s left will interfere with your ability to fall asleep. That’s why it’s better to stay away from it at least six hours before bedtime. 

Alcohol works in a different way because it’s a depressant. That’s why you get sleepy after a couple of glasses. While you may believe this helps, it actually disrupts your circadian rhythm and can worsen sleep disorders. 

How Much Exercise Do You Get?

We understand that if you have trouble sleeping, exercise is the last thing you feel like doing. But it is one of the most effective ways to remedy the problem. Says science. It reduces the time you spend trying to fall asleep and increases the time you spend in the deep restorative stages of the sleep cycle. 

Just like with the consistent sleeping schedule, it can take a few weeks for this strategy to start working. Generally speaking, the more vigorous the workout, the better, but if you’re not used to exercising regularly, you should start small so you don’t lose your motivation. For example, a daily 10 or 15 minute walk in the park while listening to an audiobook or your favourite music.  

Once you move on to more high-intensity workouts, bear in mind that they increase cortisol levels, and this also interferes with sleep quality. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and too much of it closely before bedtime will result in light sleep and frequent waking. It’s best to avoid high-intensity workouts for at least three hours before you go to sleep. Instead, you can do low-intensity yoga that will help you relax.