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- There are various reasons why you can’t get your much-needed sleep at night.
- Gadgets, late afternoon coffee, chocolates, the moon and even your partner can be blamed.
Are you having trouble getting your much-needed sleep at night?
Here are some reasons why you’re still counting sheeps at night.
1. You’re using gadgets.
Gadgets like smartphones and tablets release high concentration of blue light that affects our sleep pattern since it delays the release of melatonin, our sleep-onset hormone. Indeed, a 2014 study conducted by Harvard researchers revealed that those who read using gadgets took longer time to fall asleep and had higher alertness before bedtime compared to those who read printed books.
2. You had coffee in the afternoon.
We all know that sipping a cup of coffee before bedtime will certainly keep you yup longer, but consuming it even six hours before sleeping can also cause sleep troubles. A 2013 study by American scientists discovered that an afternoon cup can make sleeping challenging and reduces total nightly sleep amount by over than an hour.
3. You had a big meal in the evening.
Eating a big meal for supper can trigger body activities that will give you difficulty hitting the hay. When you consume a main meal late at night, the blood flow in your digestive tract increases prompting the stomach to produce gastric acid and forcing the muscles to work in order to metabolize food. All of these happen when your system is supposed to be slowing down in order for your body to fall asleep.
4. Blame it on the full moon.
Scientists are not sure why but lunar cycle actually influences human sleeping patterns. A 2013 study carried out by researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland showed that subjects took five minutes longer than normal to fall asleep and had 20 minutes less sleep throughout the night during a full moon.
5. You’re smoking.
Sleeping patterns of smokers are affected because of the stimulating effect of nicotine and the withdrawal symptoms they often experience at bedtime.
6. Your partner is the culprit.
Did you know that sharing a bed with your partner can cause you to lose some sleep? Based in the results of the 2009 study conducted by researchers at the University of Surrey, couple sharing a bed experienced 50% more sleep disturbances compared to people who slept alone.
7. You might be suffering from depression.
If you’re having difficulty sleeping on a regular basis, you can be suffering from depression. Chronix anxiety, a mental illness, can cause you to have trouble sleeping as your mind tend to race with thoughts.
8. You nibbled chocolate late at night.
Just like coffee, chocolates also contain caffeine that can affect your ability to sleep. In fact, a 100 gram bar of plain chocolate contains about 50mg of caffeine.
9. You’re suffering from night-time asthma.
While asthma is becoming increasingly common, some sufferers experience asthma at night time. Nocturnal asthma, which is caused by a combination of factors such as lung function decline in late eking and sleeping position that restricts airways and sinus drainage, can also be a reason why you’re up all night.
10. You can be undergoing menopause.
Older women who are experiencing trouble sleeping may be undergoing menopause. Such phenomenon may bring in physical and mental changes that can trigger anxiety. One of its symptoms, hot flushes, can make sleeping difficult for women.
