Getting enough sleep is an often overlooked factor in maintaining a healthy body. Many people struggle with falling sleep, staying asleep throughout the night, or both.
Reasons you may have difficulty falling asleep
- Stress/Cortisol
- Too much caffeine during the day
- Restless legs syndrome – muscle pain and twitching when lying down to bed
- Hormonal changes
- Menstrual cycle – during days 24-28 of the menstrual cycle there can be more sleep disturbances
- Menopause – body temperature does not “dip down” like it should, and so there are more difficulties with falling and staying sleep
Reasons you may have difficulty staying asleep
- Sleep breathing problems – such as snoring or sleep apnea
- Hormonal changes – estrogen is protective of the airway, so decreased estrogen can lead to sleep apnea
- Movement disorders
- Hypoglycemia – low blood sugar
- Try eating a protein snack before bed and making sure that the majority of your calories are eaten before 4:00 pm. Do not eat dinner after 7:00 pm.
- Nocturia- waking up more than once during the nite to urinate
- Try to drink most of your daily water before 5:00 pm.
- Alcohol consumption
- Stress/Cortisol
Sleep Hygiene
“Sleep hygiene” refers to daily habits you can put into practice to make falling asleep and staying asleep easier. Your sleep environment is also a factor in your sleep hygiene. We have an entire post about sleep hygiene, but here are a few tips:
- Your bed should only be used for sleeping and sex. Do not read in your bed, do not work on the computer in your bed, and do not watch TV in your bed.
- Melatonin is the hormone that tells our body to go to sleep, and it is highest 2 hours after we go to sleep. Full spectrum lights will disrupt the effect of melatonin more than the yellow colored (incandescent) lights.
- Your sleep environment should be completely dark, as if you are sleeping in a cave.
- Keep your bedroom around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. We sleep better in cooler temperatures, and our body’s temperature naturally decreases at night.
- Keep you bed away from fuse boxes, electrical cords, and do not have anything plugged in beside your bed.
- No pets in your room and keep your room as hypoallergenic as possible – histamine promotes wakefulness.
- Go to bed at the SAME time every night, and wake up at the SAME time every morning – even on weekends.
- Try to eat your last full meal before 7:00 pm or at least 3 hours before you want to be sleeping.
- Avoid caffeine and nicotine for at least 6-8 hours before you plan on going to bed.
- Establish a good wind-down routine.
Wind-Down Routine:
- Start your wind-down at least 1 hour before bed, and then actually go to bed. Otherwise, you will wind-down from the day while lying in bed, and this leads to insomnia.
- Your wind-down needs to be in low-lights and NOT task oriented. Don’t work on something that needs to be done, instead: read, do a puzzle, knit, stretch. Do NOT watch TV, work on the computer, or clean the house.
Active skills to help yourself fall asleep:
- Visualizations or story telling – make up a story in your head.
- Gratitude prayer or spiritual practice.
- Breathing practices.
- Meditation.
If you’re unable to fall asleep after 20 minutes:
- If you’re unable to fall asleep or fall back to sleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed, and read something boring – not a novel that your are fascinated in, but something that you care nothing about. Only do this in dim lighting.
- Do not clock watch – if you wake up in the middle of the night; do NOT look at the time. Even if you get up to go to the bathroom, avoid looking at the clock.
When changing a sleep behavior or sleep pattern be sure to try it for 7-10 days before giving up. Your body needs time to learn and get used to the changes.