Although you probably realize you should get at least 7 hours of sleep each night you may be one of many Americans that struggle to. In fact, according to a study conducted by the National Geographic Channel more than 70% of Americans indicated they do not get the amount of sleep they need. Consider the following 5 reasons you may be struggling to sleep properly at night.
Your Spouse
Yes, many Americans blame their spouse for causing their sleep to be interrupted. A spouse who snores may keep you awake or even wake you up during a deep sleep. Having your spouse sleep on his or her side will reduce the likelihood of them snoring. An alternate option is to use earplugs to block out the sound.
Other people struggle to sleep because their spouse tosses and turns all night. It is possible they are not comfortable on the mattress. Even though you may not have noticed, your mattress may be old and no longer providing adequate support. It may be time to buy a new mattress one so you can both sleep peacefully all night.
Inconsistent Sleep Schedule
Many people attempt to live on less sleep during the week and then catch up on the weekends. This method really doesn’t work. In fact, if you find you can’t fall asleep on Sunday night think back to what time you woke up that morning. If you slept in you have messed up your internal clock so your body doesn’t think it is time to sleep already. Try to wake up within an hour of your weekday wake-up time on the weekends. If you stay up late on a Friday or Saturday night still wake up at the regular time in the morning but take a short (30 minutes or less) nap during the day.
Hunger
Do you find yourself hungry when you are attempting to doze off? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and want to have a snack? Hunger can interfere with sleep. Attempt to avoid getting out of bed to eat. Often this leads to overeating and unhealthy weight gain. Instead have a high-protein snack before bedtime. This will help keep your hunger at bay until morning. If you are trying to lose weight be sure to account for the calories of the bedtime snack by reducing what you eat during the day.
Bedroom Environment
People often struggle to sleep because their bedroom environment is not right. Common issues people have are:
- Messy bedroom
- Ambient Light
- Noise or Lack of Noise
It may not seem obvious but a cluttered bedroom can impact your ability to sleep. Messy night stands and dressers may increase your stress and cause you to have trouble falling asleep especially if the mess is items you have to deal with such as bills. Consider keeping your bedroom clear of clutter.
Light from street lamps, monitors, electronics and even your alarm clock may keep you awake. You may think closing your eyes closes out the light but your body can still sense the light and may be confused thinking that you should be awake. Different people are affected by different light levels so your partner may not notice the alarm clock light that keeps you from sleeping. Consider turning it to face the wall. Install blackout shades if a street lamp causes an issue. If you are not able to remove all light wear an eye mask.
The amount of sound you need or don’t depends on you. Some people can’t sleep with any background noise and others must have some constant sound because they can’t sleep in the super quiet. If you need some sound consider turning on a fan or using a white-noise machine.
Your Mattress
Ideally you will be sleeping for 7 or more hours on your mattress. If it is not supporting your body properly you won’t be able to get appropriate sleep. A mattress that is old and lumpy or sagging will lead you to wake up feeling achy and tired. It is recommended that you get a new mattress every 7 years so if you have had your current mattress longer than that consider purchasing a new one. Contact us for assistance in finding the right mattress so you can sleep well each night.
If any of the above reasons explains why you are struggling to sleep consider implementing the suggestions so you can get the rest you need.