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Top Mistakes Interfering With Your Sleep
This entry was posted on March 6, 2015.
If you are having a hard time getting a good night’s sleep, chances are that you’re scratching your head and trying to figure out why. Though there are doubtless plenty of people whose insomnia is out of their control, caused by physiological problems that have skewed their body’s internal clock, in a large number of cases the problem is a matter of our own making.
Taking ownership of the causes of our sleeplessness is the first step in restoring our ability to get the quantity and quality of sleep that we need, so in an effort to help you understand your own level of responsibility, here are the top ten mistakes that people make that have an impact on their ability to sleep. If you see yourself in any of these points, take steps to address your behavior and you’ll probably find yourself feeling a whole lot better and more rested.
1. The lights are too bright
Bright Lights are the number one problem that can interfere with sleep.A lot of the trouble that people have with getting to sleep is about the fact that we live in too bright an environment. Our bodies evolved to recognize the setting of the sun as the time to go to sleep. Dimming artificial lights about an hour before bedtime will counter the impact of artificial lights.
2. The caffeine is being taken in too late
It seems like this is a message people would have gotten, but a surprising number are drinking their coffee late into the day. The coffee that you drink will impact you at least six hours after you consume it, so cut it out after lunch time to get a better night’s sleep.
3. Your exercising needs to happen earlier
Exercise is important, so we won’t ever tell you not to do it, but exercising close to bedtime can make it hard to relax when the lights go out. Try to move your workout to the morning or afternoon.
4. The heat is too high
A cozy bedroom sounds lovely, but it might be working against ou. The truth is that a cooler bedroom helps you fall asleep faster because your core body temperature needs to drop in order to fall asleep. If you are uncomfortable, wear socks and keep your hands tucked in under your pillow or covers. This actually dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow.
5. You’re going to bed too late
There’s something to be said for waiting until you’re sleepy to go to bed, but it’s important to understand that we get our soundest sleep in the first third of the night, and if you go to sleep late then you miss this highest quality sleep.
6. You’re drinking too much alcohol
Drinking alcohol is a great way to relax, but not when there’s too much or it’s being drunk too close to bedtime. Alcohol can interfere with your REM sleep, so cut yourself off a couple of hours before bedtime, and don’t drink to excess.
