Caring
13 reasons why you can’t sleep
If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of insomnia, you’ll know how it can make you feel like a zombie the next day.
Whether you’re a chronic sufferer or just an occasional night owl, follow our tips below to see if you can get yourself some much needed shut-eye.
- You don’t have a bedtime routine: just like children, we all need to have a wind-down period before bed. Give yourself a reasonable bedtime, and follow the same steps in the lead up to it. This signals to your brain that bedtime is coming and gets you in the right frame of mind.
- You’re using your bedroom for non-sleep related activities: if your bedroom is also your home office or craft room, our brain can find it hard to switch off. Consider moving these things to another area of the house, or at least put them in a cupboard that can be closed at the end of the day.
- You’re missing the window: sleepiness tends to come in waves, and it’s said that if you miss the window of opportunity to get to bed it can mean you’ll be up even longer. Try to listen to your body’s signals that it is approaching a sleep wave, such as yawning or rubbing your eyes.
- You’re overdoing the caffeine: if possible avoid any caffeine after 3pm as it can disrupt your sleep patterns. You could try Valerian tea or Chamomile tea to help send your brain a sleep signal.
- You’re exercising too close to bedtime: getting your heart pumping is great, but not right before bed. With your endorphins racing and your blood pumping, it’s not exactly conducive to sleep. If you can, exercise in the afternoon or morning so that you can have a restful period in the lead up to bedtime.
- Your bedroom is messy: a cluttered room can lead to a cluttered mind, and many people don’t realise how their messy room is keeping them awake. Take the time to pack away clothes and shoes into the wardrobe, and get rid of anything else that is cluttering up your space such as paperwork.
- Your partner is snoring: this can be very frustrating, especially as it sounds as though they are having such a deep sleep. Try to encourage your partner to sleep on their side if possible and get yourself a set of earplugs from the chemist.
- You’re eating a heavy meal before bed: eating late at night can disrupt your sleeping patterns as your body is working overtime to digest the food. Try to eat dinner earlier if you can, or try to limit your portion sizes so that you are full but not ready to burst.
- You’re making your to-do list in bed: if you’re spending an hour after bedtime making lists in your head of what needs to be done (or worse, worrying) it’s no wonder you’re not nodding off. Dedicate some time late afternoon to list making, or keep a notebook by your bed to write down anything that’s keeping you up.
- You’re not relaxed: getting hyped up before bed by watching an action movie or having a heated debate isn’t going to do wonders for your sleep. It’s important to have some down time before bed, so dim the lights, light a candle, have a shower or read a (not too exciting) book in the lead up to bedtime.
- You’re having too much screen time before bed: if you’re moving between the television, computer and phone in the hours before bed – this could be keeping you awake long after going to bed. The lights from all of these devices signal to our brain that it’s daytime rather than down time. So switch off an hour before bed if possible.
- You’re having alcohol close to bedtime: sure you might think that a glass of wine will help you nod off, but it can actually cause you to wake up later on. Try to limit yourself to a drink with dinner and then enjoy water or herbal teas before bed.
- Your room is aglow: all of those little lights from phone chargers to alarm clocks can actually affect our sleep. Keep phones out of the bedroom, turn alarm clocks to face the wall, and put Blu-Tack over any little lights (such as DVD players or stereos) that could be affecting your ability to rest.
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