Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for your overall health and wellness. So many people wake up every morning feeling groggy, tired, and generally lacking energy. More often than not, your nights are filled with constant awakenings as you struggle to really stay asleep for the full 8 hours. If you’re lucky, you manage around 5-6 hours of good sleep per night, which simply isn’t enough.
Why? Why does this keep happening to you? Why can’t you get a good night’s sleep for once? In reality, it could come down to any number of issues with yourself or your surroundings. If you have problems with your sleep, then it’s most likely thanks to one of these issues:
You Drink Too Much Caffeine
I have a love-hate relationship with caffeine. I love how much it wakes me up during the day, but I hate how it continues to keep me awake long into the night. Did you know that if you keep drinking caffeinated beverages beyond 5pm in the afternoon, it will stay in your system until bedtime? This means you’ll struggle to get to sleep, even if your last cup of coffee was at 5pm! I find that this is the cause of most people’s sleepless nights. You take ages to get to sleep, restricting how much rest you get every night. The solution is simple; get all your caffeine in during the morning and early afternoon! Also, try and limit yourself to 1 or 2 cups of coffee per day – 3 at the absolute max! It’s ironic because I’m sure loads of you are now up in arms saying that coffee is the only thing keeping you awake in the morning. Well, if you stop drinking it late in the day, then you can sleep earlier, getting more hours in, and wake up more energised and refreshed!
You Drink Too Much Before Bed
I’m sure there are plenty of you out there that live a caffeine-free life. Or, you might have one morning cup of coffee, and that’s your quota for the day. Regardless, your drinking habits can still be a problem when it comes to how much sleep you get. You see, drinking right before bed causes a fairly obvious problem. Liquid enters your body…and it needs to come back out at some point. This usually results in frequent bathroom trips during the middle of the night, disrupting your sleep. So, if you often have a glass of water right before bed, then you need to stop. Leave at least an hour between your last drink of the day, and your bedtime. This prevents the bathroom trips in the middle of the night, leading to better sleep.
You Have A Bad Mattress
Most people assume that mattresses start off good and get worse over time. Granted, this is a very common problem that you’ve probably experienced. They don’t last forever, and a mattress gets worse and worse, providing you less support and comfort. So, if you have an old mattress, then this is likely the cause of your sleepless nights. But, as it shows on www.mattress-guides.net, you can buy mattresses in varying types of firmness. Some are super soft, others are very firm. Even a brand new mattress can be bad for you if you make the wrong choice. There are people whose bodies respond better to soft mattresses, and others who prefer much firmer ones. If you rush into buying a new mattress and get one that looks cool or has cool technology involved, then you could just buy one that’s bad for your body. Spend time testing different ones out and figuring out the ideal firmness for you. This prevents aches and pains that wake you up during the night.
You’ve Got A Bad Back/Neck
Sometimes, a bad mattress can cause pains in your back or neck. But, other times, you could have those pains to start with. Your mattress may be perfect, but you still have a bad back/neck because you may have arthritis or another health issue. In which case, your pains can wake you up in the dead of night. One way to prevent this is by stretching before you go to bed. There’s some good content on www.shape.com that shows you a few stretches to do before going to sleep. Target your problem areas, such as your back or neck, and get the nice and loose before sleeping. This releases any trigger points and muscle knots, helping you sleep without pain. Trust me, this works a lot, even if you don’t feel much difference after stretching.
You Sleep With A Light On
The environment you’re in will play a huge role in how well you sleep. Needless to say that a dark room is much easier to sleep in than a bright one. A bright light makes it harder to get to sleep, and can also wake you up in the middle of the night. So, if you’re someone that likes sleeping with the light on, then you could be damaging your health as it stops you from getting your full quota of sleep every night. Turn the lights off, or at least have a dim lamp turned on, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
You Have Too Much Noise Around You
Similarly, a noisy atmosphere won’t help you get to sleep and can also wake you up multiple times. People that live in noisy apartment buildings, or next to a busy road, will often struggle to get a good night’s sleep. Luckily, you can address this with earplugs. Buy some earplugs and pop them in your ears to cancel out the sounds you hear. You’ll have peace and quiet, helping you sleep properly
As mentioned right at the start of this piece; sleep is essential for our overall health. If we don’t get enough sleep, then our body can’t grow and recover after working out and exercising. Sleep helps us digest our food and regulate our metabolism too, with studies linking sleep deprivation to weight gain! In short, get more sleep every night!
