When Sleep Slips through Your Fingers

Struggling to fall asleep? Here are five possible reasons sleep may be evading you.

You lie in bed for hours unable to fall asleep. You toss and turn, but sleep won’t come. Or maybe you fall asleep with no trouble but wake in the night unable to fall back to dreamland. You know your body is tired, but your mind won’t seem to shut off. Without restful sleep, the next day you feel groggy, emotionally fragile, and low on energy.

Being unable to fall asleep is a frustrating experience that many people have on a regular basis. In your quest for some Zs, there are many things that could sabotage your efforts. Have you considered them?

An Irregular Sleep Schedule

Whether it’s sleeping, eating, or even going to the bathroom, your body loves routine. That’s why you sleep best when you go to sleep and wake up at around the same time every day, including the weekend. This allows your body to get into its natural sleep-wake cycle known as circadian rhythm. When bedtime rolls around, your body knows it. Miss that window of time, and you may have trouble falling asleep.

Eating or Drinking the Wrong Things

That full plate of Mexican food and large soda may have tasted good at the time, but you’ll regret it later. Feeling overly full can prevent a restful night’s sleep. Spicy foods can cause painful heartburn that worsens when you lie down to sleep. Caffeine is a common cause of sleep trouble, even if you drink it in the afternoon. The stimulant drug takes six hours for half of it to leave your body. A glass of wine in the evening may help you relax and fall asleep, but your sleep may be light and fitful the second half of the night. And that large glass of water you drank before bed will wake you in the night to use the restroom.

A Lack of Exercise

Want another reason to love your trainer? Studies show that people who exercise regularly sleep better at night than those who don’t exercise. In addition to causing you to be physically tired, exercise is a great way to manage stress that otherwise would keep you awake. Most people find morning to be the ideal time for sleep-enhancing exercise. Intense exercise in the evening energizes you and releases endorphins that may make it hard to fall asleep.

Checking Your Phone before Bed

Low light and darkness signal your body to produce melatonin, the sleep hormone. Bright light in the morning helps you wake up. The bright blue light emitted from electronic devices like your phone or iPad before bed may hinder quality sleep by reducing melatonin. For better sleep, turn off all screens at least 30 minutes before bed.

Mentally Overstimulated

Reading is a great way to unwind and relax at the end of the day, but be picky about what you choose to read before bed. Be sure it’s a light read—not something that will cause you to lie awake thinking about after putting the book down. If you choose to watch a television show before bed, the same rule applies. A slow-moving plot with lots of dialogue will induce sleep better than a high-action thriller.

Naps

For many people, a 20-minute power nap in the afternoon provides the energy needed to make it until bedtime. Longer than that, however, and you may have trouble falling asleep when bedtime rolls around. If you plan to take a nap, set an alarm for 20 minute at the most. You may find that even 20 minute naps prevent you from restful night time sleep. Everyone is affected differently, so nap carefully.