5 Reasons You’re Not Sleeping Well

As adults, we all know that we should get seven to nine hours of decent sleep every night. It isn’t always that easy. Many adults find it difficult to drift off, have difficulty in staying asleep, or wake up not feeling refreshed or re-energized. There are many ways to improve your sleep but before you go out and invest in a pile of gadgets to help you relax, you should know the reasons you are not sleeping well and decide which are the best and easiest to tackle.

Stress and Worry

Modern life is hectic and many people are affected by things that keep them awake at night. If you cannot naturally “switch off” from work or home life sufficiently to relax to induce sleep, you need to find ways to wind down before bedtime. Having a good bedtime routine should enable you to drift off.

Room Temperature Woes

Science says that the ideal room temperature for sleep is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit or about 18 degrees Celsius. Temperatures above and below this can cause restlessness or poor sleep as your body’s circadian rhythm is not in tune to the environment. This ideal temperature is not just relevant to the room, because even if your bedroom is at the right temperature you may be increasing body heat with your bed linens. Your bedding should be adjusted with the seasons.

Late afternoon caffeine

We’re a nation of coffee drinkers. Some of us are quite happy to have the caffeine hit in the morning to jolt us into being alert and some of us also need a pick me up to prevent an afternoon slump. This is not conducive to good sleep. A UK-based study has shown that caffeine later in the day affects your circadian rhythm and disrupts the natural pattern where your body relaxes ready for sleep. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks such as cola should be avoided from mid-afternoon.

Sharing your bed

Sleeping with a partner is nice but it means having to contend with all the habits of another person in your bed. You both probably have different sleeping positions and you may even prefer different temperatures. Your partner might be a restless sleeper or a snorer. While it won’t solve all problems, getting the best mattress you can will alleviate some of the issues. Check out mattress sizes and firmness ratings to choose a good option for both of you – GQ provide information with regards to their favorite mattresses for every price and sleeping style.

Wrong Snacks

There’s nothing wrong with a healthy post-dinner snack, but just like caffeine in coffee, there are certain foods that can disrupt your body’s natural rhythm. If your body is expending energy on its digestive processes, it will not relax enough for good sleep. Foods to avoid when it comes to late dinners or post-dinner snacks include items that you would normally consider to be healthy such as cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower etc.) and orange juice. Good late-night snacks include cereal (oatmeal is a good choice) berries, yogurt, and popcorn.

You’ll sleep better if you tackle the causes of poor sleep.