Having Trouble Sleeping? Surprising Things That Might Be Affecting Your Sleep
Sleeping is one of our biggest necessities. For some people, it is even a pleasure. After all, what’s better than waking up refreshed and ready for new challenges?
However, if you are having trouble sleeping then you might absolutely dread the time when you need to call it a day. Tossing and turning for hours without being able to shut your brain off is not only annoying but it can also impact your ability to rationally respond to everyday activities that require alertness such as driving. Ultimately, a prolonged period of bad sleep can impact your health.
If you can’t find the root of your sleeping troubles, then some of your habits might be what’s affecting you. Here are the most surprising things we all do yet can be the reason why you are awake when you should be resting.
Minty Toothpaste
Oral hygiene is clearly important. Brushing your teeth before bed is something that we have all learned when we were children and it is definitely a habit that should be carried through life. However, did you know that certain types of toothpaste and mouthwashes can be the reason why you have trouble sleeping?
The majority of toothpaste and mouthwashes are mint flavored. It turns out mint is a strong flavor that increases alertness. To avoid your tooth brushing habits interfering with your sleep, choose a milder flavor toothpaste. Also, try to brush your teeth a few hours before going to bed. Ideally, do that after your last meal for the day.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B is a necessity for a lot of people. Still, the time when you are taking the vitamin might be the cause of a restless night. Vitamin B12 affects the melatonin levels and melatonin is known as the hormone that causes us to feel sleepy. To avoid this, try to take your B vitamins in the morning. The same goes with vitamin B6 as it might be the cause of vivid dreams that will wake you up in the middle of the night.
Bad Fabric Choice
The choice of your bedding fabric can also cause some disruption of your sleep. If you are waking up in the middle of the night having hot flushes, then it is time for new bedding.
Polyester bed sheets are the most frequently sold type of beddings on the market. However, polyester is not a breathable fabric so your body might be having trouble regulating its temperature during your sleep.
Get yourself new bedding which is made out of natural and breathable material. A good option to go for is cotton but you still need to be careful what sort of cotton you are getting. If in doubt, always choose Egyptian cotton as that is the fabric that the premium beddings are made of. This fabric will help your body find its ideal temperature for a good night’s sleep.
Go Outdoors
Our bodies are very complex and they work in ways we don’t always get to control. One important thing for your sleep is the circadian rhythm of the body. In simple terms, the circadian rhythm is the way your body signalizes you that it is time to be active during the day or that it is time to rest during the night. This rhythm plays a crucial role in our sleep cycles and disrupting it can lead to problems falling asleep.
Has this ever happened to you: you wake up every day at 6 to go to work and on your day off, you still wake up at roughly the same time? That is your circadian rhythm at work.
If you are having trouble sleeping, that might be because your body is confused what time of the day it is. To solve this problem, you simply need to expose yourself to sunlight. This will strengthen your circadian rhythm and it will make it easier for you to fall asleep at night.
Check the Temperature
Sleeping in a warm room might seem like a good idea but the case is just the opposite. When we are falling asleep, our body temperature drops. That’s why you want to snuggle up in your blanket and feel warm. However, if the temperature in the room is too high, this can cause a disruption of your sleep and you might wake up in the middle of the night all sweaty.
For ideal sleep, keep the room temperature between 65 and 70 degrees when you are ready to go to bed.
Blue Light
Blue light has been one of the most discussed topics recently as it was found that cell phones, tablets and computers can impact our sleep. Not only can you find it difficult to fall asleep but staring at a device for too long before your bedtime can also decrease the quality of your sleep or even your ability to simply stay asleep.
Try to stay away from any blue light emitting devices at least a few hours before you go to bed. If that’s impossible for you, then get a pair of glasses that will block the blue light.
If you were wondering why it is so hard to just lay down and fall asleep, these might be some of the things that are causing you problems. If you ruled out more serious potential causes, then it is time to do small changes and see if that will make a difference. Sometimes the solutions we are after are very simple.
