5 Reasons Why You’re Not Sleeping Well And How To Fix it

Are you having problems sleeping, but you’re not sure how to fix it? It can be difficult to find out what you’re doing wrong. Read through the following list to see if these common sleep problems apply to you and and learn how to improve your sleep.

You Have Bad Sleep Habits

How you prepare for bed is just as important as how you actually sleep at night. Before going to sleep, here are three things you should do:

  • Clean your room – A clean room before bed will calm your mind down and lead to less stress before bed. Stress is one of the major factors for poor sleep quality.
  • Create a sleep routine – Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. By having a consistent sleep schedule, you will regulate your sleep, adjust your brain, and experience longer, deeper sleep.
  • Check your mattress – Mattresses should be regularly cleaned, flipped over and checked to make sure they are still in a decent condition, after all this is the base that you are sleeping on. Whether you try in store or look around an online mattress store, there are plenty of different options out there to guarantee a good night’s sleep.

You Don’t Sleep On Your Side

The way you sleep is also incredibly important. Sleeping on your back, side, or front can all have a significant effect on how well you sleep.

Stomach sleepers are more likely to toss and turn. This sleeping position can also cause neck and lower back pain. If you sleep on your back, you may experience increased snoring and cause sleep apnea to worsen if you have it. Most doctors recommend sleeping on your side. If you have back or hip pain, they recommend placing a pillow between your legs to help with alignment or using a memory foam mattress for back pain.

If side sleeping isn’t the right position for you due to weight, consider sleeping on your back, and prop up your head and upper back on a pillow. If you find yourself breathing poorly because you have to sleep on your back, you may want to get a mouthpiece for snoring.

You Drink Before Bed

What and how you drink before bed can have a massive effect on the quality of sleep you get. If you tend to burn the midnight oil, you may find yourself drinking coffee or tea at night, but this can cause problems with your sleep schedule. Doctors recommend limiting caffeine before bed up to 4 hours beforehand. Any closer than that and you can find yourself tossing and turning all night, limiting the quantity and quality of your sleep.

On the other hand, while alcohol is a depressant and may make you feel like it puts you to sleep when you drink it, the chemical process it has on your brain actually diminishes your quality of sleep. Depending on how much you’ve drank, it can leave you just as sleep deprived as if you hadn’t slept at all.

You Need To Put Away Your Electronics

The light emitted by electronics at night is a huge sleep disruptor. They produce blue light, which can mimic the light of the sun. Unfortunately, exposure to blue light can throw off your circadian rhythms and cause insomnia. It’s best to keep electronics away at bedtime.

You Need Help

Have you tried some or all of these tips and your quality of sleep still hasn’t gone up? It may be time to see your doctor. You may have a medical condition like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or insomnia. Let your doctor know of any problems you might be having and what you’ve done to remedy the situation. They might know of some other ways to fix the issue you are having or prescribe medication or an oral appliance called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for sleep-related breathing and snoring problems. Don’t be afraid; over 70 million Americans have sleep issues. Your problems are not unique.

Hopefully, this list has helped you to find and diagnose any poor sleep habits you have and will allow you to correct them.

*collaborative post

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1 Comment

  1. says: Louise Cordet

    I remember a time when I could fall asleep in any position and four hours of sleep was enough for me. But now I need a regular routine, a comfortable bed, and at least 8 hours of sleep to feel good. These are good tips! No alcohol or any electronics before bed, a cool ventilated room, a comfortable mattress – it almost always works. I also recommend reading about what sleep stages exist and about bedtime rituals that can help you have a good night’s sleep: https://www.flippingheck.com/weekly-round-up-noise-colors-bedtime-rituals-sleep-stages/ Often we can help ourselves. But there are situations in which we can’t do without the help of a specialist.

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