According to research by Harvard Medical School, 30% of American adults experience sleeping disorders. Inadequate sleep can significantly impact your daily productivity and health, hence the need to treat it as soon as possible. If you notice that you aren’t getting enough sleep, the following might be the possible causes:
1. Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is an anatomical disorder where breathing momentarily stops and restarts while sleeping. It is mainly characterized by snoring and is common in overweight men, but can develop in women as well.
2. Over intoxication
Sex is an excellent prelude to sleep, and alcohol is an excellent pre-runner to sex. However, too much alcohol will impact your sleeping patterns. You will tend to go to bed earlier than usual, which is a good thing, but too much alcohol means extra trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Furthermore, as alcohol effects fade, your body will wake up and try to readjust into your natural sleep routine, resulting in a hangover.
3. Your environment
The temperature of your room has an impact on how peaceful your sleep will be. Remember, much of the brain shuts down when you sleep, but that will be impossible if the brain has to keep track of extreme temperature changes. Other factors, such as noise and nature bedding, also play a significant role in sleep quality.
4. Stress
Stress is the leading non-medical cause of insomnia- a sleeping deficiency. You might not experience intense pressure during the day as the activities we engage in limit our thoughts, something we don’t experience at night. Meditation and change of rooms can help fix these problems. Additionally, talking to an expert is key to treating stress.
5. Check your medication
If you are under any prescribed drugs, speak to your doctor if you suspect that they deny you sleep. Examples of sleep-depriving drugs include:
- Antidepressants
- High blood pressure beta blockers
- Drugs containing alcohol
- Corticosteroids
6. Underlying medical conditions
Chronic conditions, common in old age, can throw a monkey wrench into a sound sleep. Culpable medical conditions include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Chronic pain
- An enlarged prostate gland – urges men to empty their bladder frequently, even if it is empty.
- Neuropathy – constant numbness and tingling of fingers commonly experienced by diabetics
7. Too much caffeine
Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors of the brain. Adenosine is a chemical that initiates the sleep process. As a result, too much caffeine in the evening can have effects that last into the night. You want to go easy on caffeine-containing foods and drinks, especially in the evening.
8. Long naps
An afternoon nap is healthy, but prolonged naps can disorient your sleeping patterns. You’ll want to keep your naps shorter than 30 minutes if you are going to get a decent sleep at night.
Endnote
Sleep is a vital biological process as it resets our brain, preparing it for a new day’s activities. Therefore, getting inadequate sleep, which is common among adults, can impact our productivity and psychological well-being. There are many reasons why getting more sleep makes you healthier, and it pays to see a sleep expert if you develop sleep apnea related signs. You deserve to be healthy.