According to statistics, more than one-third of adults sleep less than seven hours per night, on average. There are several reasons for poor sleep. Sleep disruptors can be in your home, brain, body, food habits, or workplace; they can lurk anywhere; you just need to identify them and drive them away.
Find out which are the 12 things that sabotage your sleep.
Stress
Stress can be related to work, family, or personal life. It tires you out mentally, physically, and emotionally. High levels of stress can affect sleep quality by fragmenting sleep. Avoid stress through physical exercise, mental stimulation, Yogasana, and meditation. If this doesn’t help, meet a medical consultant.
Caffeine
Your body takes 4 to 6 hours to metabolize half of the consumed caffeine. Therefore, consuming coffee at 5 or 6 in the evening can still have stimulating effects on your brain and affect your sleep. As a general rule of thumb, limit caffeine intake after your midday meal. This rule also applies to caffeinated drinks.
Alcohol
Alcohol can sometimes make you fall asleep more quickly, but you may find that you wake up in the middle of the night or may experience vivid dreams that disrupt your sleep. Consuming too much alcohol can disturb your circadian rhythm. Alcohol can suppress rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the most important phase of sleep.
Heavy Meals
Going to bed on a full stomach or consuming spicy and acidic foods in evening meals can interfere with sleep as they cause heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), commonly known as acid reflux.
Insufficient Sunlight
Some studies indicate that 30 minutes of exposure to natural sunlight can help the circadian rhythm to function normally and promote more restful sleep. However, when your body doesn’t get sufficient daylight, as it sometimes happens in the shorter and darker winter months or when you don’t step out at all, it can affect your sleeping routine.
Not Having A Bedtime Routine
A bedtime routine can go a long way in ensuring a good night’s sleep. It signals to your brain that it’s time to wind down before you hit the bed. Some of the common bedtime routines include turning off electronics, dimming the lights, taking a warm shower, putting on calming music, meditating, or writing a gratitude journal. The idea is to practice the same bedtime routine everyday, even on vacations, to ensure sleep quality.
Insufficient Exercise
Apart from keeping weight in check, and reducing blood pressure and cholesterol, physical exercise can also help to reduce anxiety and stress that sometimes lead to sleep disorders. Studies show that adults who exercised for at least 30 minutes a day slept, on average, 15 minutes more than those who did not exercise. However, you should not exercise less than 2-3 hours before you go to bed, as exercise can have an awakening effect.
Smoking
Nicotine in your cigarettes stimulates the neurological system. Nicotine activates cholinergic receptors in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system keeping you awake.
Electronic Devices
Most people take their phones or tablets to bed and surf through the news, social media, or watch movies. Electronics are major sleep disruptors. Blue light from screens can suppress the secretion of the hormone melatonin, which is necessary for falling asleep. Thus, the blue light from electronics can lead to a decrease in sleep quality and sleep duration.
Napping In The Daytime
Long naps or taking naps too late in the day can keep you from staying asleep all night. Reduce your daytime naps to 15 to 20 minutes and take it before late afternoon.
Water Intake
Consuming too much water before bedtime can make you wake up a few times in the night for washroom visits and impact your sleep quality. It is recommended to limit your fluid intake a couple of hours before bedtime so that you can have uninterrupted sleep.
Poor Sleep Environment
Your bedtime environment plays a major role in your sleep quality. Too hot or cold a bedroom, uncomfortable mattress or pillows, bright lights outside your bedroom window, and street noise can affect your slumber. Hence, you need an ambient environment in the bedroom, a comfortable bed, clean bed sheets, darkness, and relaxing white noise.