Being able to get a good night’s sleep, 7-8 hours per night is important. People who are well rested feel alert and refreshed. Nowadays, people are having increasingly difficult times getting to sleep and/or staying asleep and find that when they awake in the morning they are not refreshed and far from ready to get out of bed and moving.
Lack of sleep makes one irritable and diminishes one’s ability to concentrate or focus. It weakens the immune function, it impedes the body’s ability to detoxify, especially the brain and vital organs. Interestingly, mounting evidence shows that sleep may be the missing factor for many people who are struggling to lose weight. One study allowed 16 adults just five hours of sleep per night for five nights. They gained an average of 1.8 pounds over the short course of this study. Poor sleep can decrease your self-control and decision-making abilities and can increase the brain’s reaction to food. It has also been linked to increased intake of foods high in calories, fats and carbs.
There are a vast range of factors that can cause sleep problems. Health and lifestyle issues such as stress, anxiety, illness, or sleep environment might be the cause. Women tend to have insomnia more often than men. This is in part due to the fact that hormonal changes can bring about this condition. These hormonal changes may include PMS, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. When an influx or decrease of hormones takes place in the body, any number of things can happen, and insomnia tends to be one of the more common side effects. Also playing a significant role in the ability to get good night’s sleep is age. As we age, the hormone, melatonin (a chemical that’s needed in order to induce sleep) decreases and, by the time we reach the age of sixty, very little melatonin is produced by our bodies. The absence of the presence of this chemical greatly diminishes the amount of sleep we receive.
Various illnesses that also may be responsible for the onset of insomnia can include; arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, allergies and also medications prescribed for certain illnesses can be a culprit in sleeplessness. Certain sleep disorders can also play a factor in insomnia such as, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, snoring and teeth grinding. All of these can disrupt your sleep and in some cases lead to insomnia.
How Much Sleep is Enough?
Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.
Sleep Hygiene
Good sleep is important. Sleep Hygiene consists of a series of practices that reinforce the body’s natural tendency to sleep at night.
Your Sleep Environment
Your bedroom may not be as conducive to sleep as it could be. Review this short list and mentally note any that are a problem.
- Noise – even if you fall back to sleep after noise wakes you, the quality of sleep may be lessened.
- Light – the issue isn’t only how light affects your eyes. Light also affects the way your brain produces hormones that regulate sleep rhythms. Even the smallest amount of light shining through closed curtains can disrupt your sleep.
- Room temperature – if you are too warm or too cold, you may not sleep as soundly.
- Your partner – a sleep partner who snores, tosses and turns a lot, talks while sleeping, or gets up often can also disrupt and compromise your sleep.
Some Tips on Getting a Good Nights Sleep
- Get up and go to bed the same time every day – even on weekends!
- Take a hot bath or shower 90 minutes before bedtime – this will raise your body temperature, but it is the drop in body temperature when you exit the shower that may leave you feeling sleepy.
- Develop sleep rituals – give your body cues that it is time to slow down and sleep. Listen to relaxing music, have a cup of herbal non caffeinated tea.
- Stay away from caffeine, nicotine and alcohol at least 4 – 6 hours before bedtime. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Although alcohol may seem to help, as it slows brain activity, it results in a fragmented and poor quality of sleep.