There are quite a few reasons you might not be getting the sleep you deserve every night. Sleep is critical to our overall health. We literally will not be able to function properly on a day to day basis without a steady amount of sleep every night. Most people only require between six to eight hours of sleep per night to stay healthy and mentally sound, but there are a few other factors that might really be disturbing your overall sleep. You might not even realize how often you wake up through the night due to certain disturbances that can be prevented or altered to help you get the most out of each night’s rest.
If you think you are someone who is not getting good enough sleep throughout the night and seem to always feel groggy or tired when you wake up, you might want to take a look at some of the tips we have provided for your reading pleasure below.
- You might be suffering from a hormone imbalance that might actually be causing you to sweat or overheat when you sleep. If you find yourself constantly tossing and turning because you just love the cold side of the bed, or you find your bed to be way too hot all the time, you might want to consider a different mattress. This is because a hormone imbalance is not always something that can be cured right away. However, you can do your best to try to get the sleep you need as soon as possible. Finding a mattress that has the best temperature for sleep could be the option for you!
- The laziness stigma is another reason why your sleep might be under attack. During this day and age, there is an idea that if you sleep “too long” or don’t stay late to work harder with longer hours, that you are lazy. There is a stigma that if you take care of yourself in the sense that you prioritize your time accordingly to maintain your optimum health, that you are selfish and probably don’t know how to work hard, and a host of other criticisms. However, this could not be further from the truth. People do not function on less than six hours of sleep per night and you should not be pressured to feel like you need to deprive yourself of eight hours to “seem” like a hard worker. At the end of the day, if you are not prioritizing your health, you might, unfortunately, suffer from some illnesses later on in life.
- Kids and family might be another reason that you are not getting the sleep you absolutely need. If you are someone who has the whole family jumping into bed constantly, and dogs and cats nuzzling in as well, you probably are not getting the sleep you need throughout the night. And how can you expect yourself to be your best if you are not allowing yourself the resting time you need in order to do so. That being said, oftentimes with younger children, it can be a struggle. And it’s not always feasible that your little ones are going to stay in their own beds. However, this doesn’t mean that while they are at school that you shouldn’t find twenty minutes here and there, even if on your lunch break, to get some Z’s in. It is highly beneficial to have a few minutes to yourself to take a nap if you can’t have the perfect sleep you want at night.
- Another reason you might not be getting the best sleep throughout the night is because you are stressed. There is something called brain dumping. This means you get a journal or a notepad where you can brain dump absolutely every single errand, task, work project, kids’ homework reminder, etc., onto a page to let your brain rest. Every single day we all go through thousands of thoughts, and attempting to organize errands and meet deadlines can become extremely overwhelming if you don’t have an escape from it. Most people think they can just remember everything and not write it down, but that actually causes a busier mind and an inability to get a good night’s rest. What you can additionally do to release stress before bed is vaping. Pineapple express strain proved to help with these issues and has great reviews!
- Drinking too much caffeine throughout the day or too late in the day is something you have probably already heard of, but this one is a given. If you are guilty of doing this, begin to limit yourself to one to two cups all before 2 p.m.
- You are constantly getting up throughout the night to use the bathroom. If this is something that is happening to you, it is recommended that you visit your doctor to make sure that you are not over urinating and that there isn’t some sort of bladder condition you are unknowingly suffering from.
- Your partner snores. If you can’t seem to sleep throughout the night because your partner snores the roof off the house each night, it’s time to invest in some noise-canceling headphones with white noise to help you sleep, or, alternatively, some noise-canceling earplugs.
These are just a few ideas to think about. Getting your sleep is so important to take on a busy day and feel your best.