So you are finally ready to sleep. Your head hits the pillow but all of a sudden, you cannot seem to keep your mind off the things that you have to do tomorrow. You try everything that you can to settle your head and fight the urge to wander, all to no avail. We all have these moments. However, some people have a lot more trouble sleeping than others.
You may or may not know this, but human beings spend roughly a third of their lives asleep. For you to function effectively during the day, you must sleep and you must sleep well. Sleep, just like fitness and eating a balanced diet, is vital if not critical to your overall health.
Why do we have such a hard time falling asleep?
If you are having sleep problems, it could be as a result of one of the following issues:
Your bedroom is not set up for optimal sleep
The perfect sleeping environment is a balanced one; not too cold or hot. We all have our preferences when it comes to the bedroom temperature. As such, if you are having trouble sleeping, consider playing around with the thermostat to see if there will be an impact on your sleep patterns. The same also goes for the bedding that you choose to use.
You are always on your phone before bed
The bright light that is emitted from phones, laptops, and iPads is known as blue light. Blue light is known to suppress melatonin, which is the hormone that signals the body when it is time to sleep. To sleep better at night, try powering down your device at least one hour before bed.
If you must absolutely have your phone with you in bed, consider switching to Nightshift mode on your phone. This feature gives your screen a yellowish light instead of the usual blue light so that you can sleep better.
Your digital alarm clock
Alarm clocks are expected fixtures in most bedrooms, but they could actually be affecting the way you sleep at night. Like phones and laptops, those big digital numbers from digital clocks also emit blue light. Alarm clocks can also be counterproductive to getting good sleep as they can cause sleep anxiety for users.
Sleep anxiety, or the constant worry that you are not falling asleep when you should, can cause prolonged insomnia. It does not also help that a clock is always there, counting down the minutes until it is time for you to wake. If you are already having trouble sleeping, this can make things much worse. Sleep experts recommend that you face the clock away from you so that you are not tempted to keep checking it as the minutes tick by.
Another great remedy that you can try is CBD Oil. CBD oil helps with sleep owing to its anti-anxiety and relaxing properties. When you use CBD oil, it naturally raises the body’s melatonin levels, therefore indicating to the body that it is time to sleep. CBD oil is also commonly used for the treatment of other conditions such as PTSD, stress, anxiety, depression, and so on.
You are forcing yourself to go to bed
Are you constantly tossing and turning, unable to find the best position for you to fall asleep? Are there always things running through your mind even when the rest of your body feels exhausted?
According to Kate Huber at njgamblingfun.com ‘’When you are feeling this way, logic dictates that you force yourself to sleep. However, one of the worst things that you can do during these instances is remaining in bed, trying to trick your body into sleeping’’.
Instead, if you have been trying to fall asleep to no avail, consider stepping out of bed to carry out a low impact activity. Some of the things that you could try include:
- Reading a book or magazine
- Meditate or stretch gently to relax your muscles and mind
- Try drinking some warm or cold milk, whichever you prefer
- Play gentle music that will calm you
- Use your CBD oil
Remember to keep your range of activity as low impact as possible. And whatever you do, fight the temptation to watch TV; the last thing you want to do is confuse your body into thinking that you are ready to take on the day when you aren’t.
You are suffering from sleep problems, and you don’t know it yet
If you have tried every sleep solution under the sun with no success, then you might just be suffering from a sleep disorder that you do not know about yet. Some of the most common sleep disorders include:
Insomnia
If it takes you awhile to get to sleep and it has been the case for a long time, then you should see a sleep specialist so that you can get tested for insomnia. Before you see a specialist though, there are some tactics that you can try including avoiding naps in the daytime, which will ensure that you are tired enough to nod off.
Before you take the step to see a specialist, you will also need to document your sleep patterns, habits and issues as they will come in handy in diagnosing you. Your sleep specialist should be able to provide you with long term and short term solutions to your sleep problems.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping condition that causes one to stop breathing when asleep. This happens when the airways continually become blocked, therefore reducing the amount of air that is transported to the lungs during sleep. When one stops breathing, choking noises or loud snores are produced.
When your body becomes too deprived of oxygen, it causes you to wake up. Depending on how severe the problem is, a person suffering from sleep apnea may wake up several times per night. In severe cases, one may even wake up more than 100 times. After every interruption, sufferers usually drift off to sleep not even realizing that they have woken up a hundred times in the night.
Sadly, a lot of individuals suffer from sleep apnea and they do not even realize it yet. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and is completely manageable when using a CPAP. A CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine ensures that oxygen is constantly pumped so that air can reach the lungs sufficiently. Sleep apnea is more common in men than it is in women.
Final Thoughts
Sleep is one of those things that should come naturally. However, when you are having trouble falling or staying asleep, these remedies discussed above should help. Lack of sleep can be unnerving so if all else fails, be sure to seek the assistance of a professional.