3 reasons why you can’t sleep
You toss and turn incessantly at night, get up to look at the clock, and still can’t get any sleep. And forget about sleeping if you have a big day tomorrow! New research shows that our own actions may be jeopardizing our ability to sleep.
“When you look at people who are having problems sleeping, a lot of the logical things they are doing to fix the situation actually end up making it worse,” says Philip Gehrman, an assistant professor of psychology at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia who treats people with insomnia(1).
Here are a three possible big reasons why you’re not getting any sleep.
Don’t engage yourself before going to bed
Contrary to what many people believe, it’s not a good idea to read a book or watch tv before going to sleep. It can actually make it harder since you are engaging your mind instead of relaxing it. Similarly, don’t work out immediately before going to bed, but going to the gym an hour or more before hitting the bed may help.
Don’t vary your sleep schedule wildly
Most of us do it, but sleeping in on the weekends is not a good idea either as it messes with our body clock and makes if much more difficult to wake up at the right time on the first day of the week.
The body clock is the result of the circadian rhythms, a cycle of night and day in a 24 hour period. These circadian rhythms also affect body temperature, blood pressure, digestive secretions and hormone production. We disrupt these rhythms by waking up late on the weekends.
Don’t lie in bed if you can’t go to sleep
So it’s 4 am and you still can’t sleep. Well, the best thing to do may be to get up. When you can’t sleep, it’s better to get up and do something like check email, or read an article. Yes, it’s counter intuitive to the first point, but the probability is greater that you will be able to sleep when you go back to bed.
Even better–drink a glass of warm milk, turn the AC cooler, and proceed to sleep like a baby.
Do you have other tips on getting a good night’s sleep?
Inspired by the article Tossing and Turning? The Surprising Reasons Why You’re Not Sleeping You are welcome to discuss this article below and we welcome your thoughts on what you do to help sleep. But we can’t give any personal advice on sleep disorders as we aren’t medical professionals. The article above is presented for information only and not as any substitute for medical consultation.
