Apart from the obvious factors that can disrupt restful sleep, such as alcohol and stress, there are other things in between that can screw up your peaceful slumber. Here are 10 unexpected things that need to be addressed if you’re looking to have a night of total rest:
1. Warm temperature
Keeping your bedroom cool actually helps you sleep better. Your body clock controls your core temperature and the variation it produces dictates you of when to hit the sack and when to wake up. In the middle of the night when you’re in your deepest sleep, your core temperature is low, so you’re in the cool zone. But if it’s too hot making your body temperature warm, your internal clock thinks it’s about time to wake up. What happens to your sleep then? Dothe math and you’ll know it gets disrupted big time.
2. Financial woes
When you have a lot of bills to pay and you’re worried that you’re not earning enough to meet all your financial obligations, the mental overload brought by over-thinking boosts activity in your brain. This makes you awake, apparently.
People with sleeping problems often resort to getting themselves distracted by watching television, and while TV may distract you from your mental burdens, the flickers of the screen can break off the release of the sleep hormone called melatonin. The result is still the same: poor sleep.
Moreover, stress leads the body to release cortisol, which is also called the stress hormone for this reason. Studies show that this hormone is associated with insomnia. You can fight chemicals in the body with another chemical. For instance, sex or masturbation triggers a surge of endorphins, the happy chemicals, which have a soothing effect.
You can also ease your mind of afflictions by watching a funny short video. Humor is reliable when it comes to helping you relax amidst financial issues, or any other kinds of woes for that matter. If you’re still tossing and turning, try counting sheep. This is a serious alternative to your sleeping predicament. Basically, counting takes up space in the “articulatory loop” of your brain. This is the section that processes current information. Since the loop’s capacity is not unlimited, unwanted thoughts or any other negativity have nowhere to linger in.
3. Horrible heartburn
Experiencing heartburn during the day is already bad enough, what more if it attacks you during bedtime? It can rouse you from your sleep many times throughout the night, which makes restful sleep impossible.
Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, take place when the valve between the stomach and esophagus doesn’t work properly. This enables acid to escape. While some wake up coughing or choking, others don’t become conscious but wake up in the morning feeling exhausted. If you wake up with a bitter taste in the mouth or a sore throat, you’ve experienced heartburn while sleeping.
You can avoid this by steering clear of huge meals and spicy foods before going to sleep. Make sure that your head is also a bit elevated from the rest of your body since it’s easier for acid to drip from your stomach when you’re lying flat in your bed. If you like sleeping on your side, settle on the left one since the sphincter between your stomach and esophagus could be open for a longer period of time when you’re on the right side.
4. Reading non-fiction
Sleep experts recommends reading fiction before bedtime as the content of such books may be too much about yourself. Books with very touching topics can also keep you wide awake even when it’s already past bedtime. With fiction, you’re aware that what you’re reading is only made-up story, so there’s less emotional attachment.
5. Poor air quality
A study conducted at Harvard determines that bad quality of air can boost the possibility of having disordered sleep breathing, which is the condition when your respiration becomes screwed up at night. Since air pollution heightens inflammation, your throat is more likely to close, making it tougher for the oxygen to keep up. This condition affects about 17% of adults.
6. You take B-Vitamins
B vitamins help create red blood cells and aid in the process of creating energy from the foods consumed. These vitamins also help control your sleeping schedule. But if you pop B vitamins at night, it’s possible that you’ll be energized. To avoid this, take your B vitamins during daytime.
7. Not getting off during sex
Sex helps you get a restful sleep as the body is relieved of stress after it is done. The brain also produces serotonin and oxytocin, which have solid sleep-inducing effects. However, there are some instances during sex when your partner gets off and then just easily dozes off, forgetting about you. This could keep you up because your blood is still flowing. There’s still the accumulation of sexual tension that hasn’t been released yet, making your brain look for sexual gratification rather than sleep.
8. Letting your cat sleep in your bed
Cats obviously love to move around, especially at nights. So, if you want to be consistent with getting a restful sleep, get your furry friend to sleep somewhere else that won’t bother your deep slumber.
9. Being glued to your phone
There is a lot of information on your phone that can be stimulating to the mind, hindering you from having a great sleep. Even quickly checking the notification can rouse your brain. Of course, the light from the screen kinds of let your body know that it’s still daytime, resulting to the slowed release of the sleep hormone melatonin.
You can check your phone at least an hour before you go to bed. If you’re always having trouble with your sleeping and you’re always glued to your phone, you probably know now why.
