More than a third of adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis. This is a serious problem because lack of sleep can lead to a wide range of health issues. It has been linked to increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, weight gain, and high blood pressure. Poor sleeping habits also increase your stress levels and lead to a higher risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
There are many different reasons you might not be getting enough sleep. So if you find yourself coming up short of the recommended 7 to 9 hours each night, it’s important that you discover what’s keeping you up. Here are some of the most common preventable reasons why people wake up during the night and what you can do about them.
Sleeping Position
If you regularly suffer from lack of sleep, it may be due to your sleeping position. Although it is not the most popular position, sleeping on your back is the healthiest way to sleep. When you sleep on your back, your neck, head, and spine rest in a neutral position, which relieves pressure and reduces pain that could wake you up. However, if you suffer from sleep apnea, sleeping on your back can make symptoms worse and disrupt your sleep further.
Sleeping on your side is the best position for people who suffer from sleep apnea. Side sleeping can also help with acid reflux and reduce snoring, both of which can cause you to wake up in the night.
Sleeping in a loose fetal position is the most common position, but it can cause aches and pain during the night. And sleeping on your stomach is the worst for your health in every respect, except that it reduces snoring. It can lead to back and neck pain that make it hard to sleep through the night.
So if you want to improve your chances for healthy, comfortable sleep, it’s best to sleep on your back.
Back Pain
Back pain during the night can be caused by your sleeping position, so in some cases, switching to a different position may help. However, it could also be caused by your posture during the day, or even by your mattress.
Many people sleep with a poor mattress that doesn’t offer them enough support. If you don’t remember when you last replaced your mattress, consider upgrading to a luxury mattress. There is a wide range of affordable, high-quality mattresses that can help to alleviate back pain, and customizable mattresses are a great solution for unique bed sizes and user preferences. Foam mattresses are particularly good because they offer superior support and alleviate the pressure on your spine and shoulders.
Temperature
Small fluctuations in temperature can disrupt your sleep, even if you are not noticeably uncomfortable. Being too hot or too cold will cause you to wake up during the night; and even if you manage not to wake up, it can reduce the overall quality of your sleep. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that the ideal temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit, but it is important that you experiment and find the best temperature for you.
Your body temperature decreases when you sleep, so if your bedroom is too warm, it can make it difficult to drift off. Turning the thermostat down a few degrees could make a big difference. However, being too cold will make you uncomfortable as well, so increase the temperature and invest in some thicker bedding if you’re consistently too cold at night.
Caffeine
We drink caffeine to keep ourselves awake, so it makes sense that ingesting caffeine too close to bedtime could disrupt your sleeping patterns. However, people do not always realize how long the effects can last for. Even if you do not drink caffeine in the evenings, having too much during the day will still disrupt your sleep. If you drink a lot of caffeine, you should consider cutting back and not drinking any caffeine after 2pm.
Your Phone
This factor is one of the most common causes of sleep disruption, since we often use our phones in bed. However, scrolling through social media before you go to bed can cause a lot of disruption to your sleep. Phone screens emit blue light, which can confuse your brain and disrupt your circadian rhythm. The light from your phone’s screen essentially tricks your brain into thinking that it is still daytime, and the increased activity makes you more alert when you should be winding down. There is also the danger that notifications will wake you up during the night. If you want to improve your sleep habits, you should stop using screens a few hours before you go to bed.
If you suffer from lack of sleep on a regular basis, one of these preventable factors could be the cause. So try sleeping in a different position, get a great new mattress, make sure your room is the right temperature, cut the caffeine, and don’t use your phone before bed!
