7 Factors That Are Keeping You Away From Sleep

Sleep is an important part of keeping both your body and mind in healthy shape. When you go to sleep, your brain recharges and cells start to repair themselves. Your body also release several important hormones that are essential for certain functions. While people aged 19 and older require 8 hours of sleep every night, children aged 3 and older require a total of 10 hours sleep every night, as noted by The Better Sleep Council. According to SleepPhones, more than 20% of people in the United States suffer from some kind of sleep deprivation condition. When you do not get enough sleep, you can suffer from a condition called sleep deprivation, which could result in several medical conditions including muscle pain, memory loss, hallucinations, headaches and much more.

A good night’s sleep is an important element of every person’s life – young or old. Suffering from sleep deprivation can cause several problems in your life. Effects can be associated with your physical health, mental health and even with your everyday tasks. Many people also find that their work suffers from this condition due to a decrease in productivity and problems with the brain’s cognitive functionality. Implementing measures to assist with an improved sleeping pattern can help you gain back your full potential and get a peaceful sleep every night.

1. Hunger keeps you from Falling A sleep
It is a known fact that if you go to bed hungry, you are more prone to wake up in the middle of the night. This is because your brain is telling you that you are hungry. Other symptoms can also include a growling or aching stomach.

This is a common problem for people on a diet. Due to the fact that many believe in eating your last meal or snack hours before going to bed, you might end up hungry when you get in bed. This problem can easily be solved by taking a snack that is high in protein before going to bed.

2. Stress Keeps you up at Night
A study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that around 43 percent of adult American citizens have problems sleeping at night due to stress-related factors. Results have also shown that the less sleep these individuals get, the more stressed they are the next day. This is also becoming a more common problem with young adults and teens. Only 48% of teenagers with a high stress level reported that they were able to get enough sleep, while the others experience problems with sleep due to stress-related elements.

Ensuring you get enough sleep by taking some measurement can help decrease stress and can help you get a peaceful sleep.

3. Pains and Aches
According to Health.com, an average of 15% of people in the United States suffer from chronic pain. Around 33% of the volunteers that was involved in the study reported they had problems with sleep as well. These two factors have a direct relationship – pain can be a big deal when you are trying to sleep.

While there are many painful causes for sleep deprivasion, studies have found that the most common types of pain that causes a lack of sleep involves headaches, pain related to the jaw muscles and back pain.

4. Pets in the Bed or Room
According to a study conducted by Mayo Clinic, people that allow their pets to sleep in their bed, or even in the same room, are more prone to disruptions to their sleep patterns. Forty-one percent of the participants stated that the disruptions to their sleep patterns were as a result of them allowing their pet to sleep in their bed. The study goes on to find that 58% of the participants found that allowing their pet to sleep in the same room as them caused problems with their sleep.

Due to animals being a problem when it comes to getting a peaceful sleep, it is important to limit your pet’s available area while you are sleeping.

5. Late at Night Caffeine
While many people enjoy a cup of coffee at night, studies have found that it can be one of the leading causes of sleep deprivation. Coffee usually contains high dosages of caffeine, the ingredient that provides us with an increase in alertness when we haven’t had much sleep. As reported by the Sleep Foundation, caffeine can cause problems with your sleep pattern and could even result in a more case known as “caffeine crash”.

It is better to switch to decaf and to consume liquids not pumped full of caffeine just before you go to bed.

6. Snoring
Snoring is a popular element that can affect the quality of sleep of multiple people at once. While there are different causes for snoring, it is prone to be a nuisance to anyone sleeping the near the person who are snoring. Snoring can have an effect on the sleep of others around you, as well as on your own sleep patterns. WebMD reports several causes and factors that relates to snoring, including the negative impact it has on your sleep patterns.

7. Day Time Naps
While it has been proven that short naps during the day can provide you with relaxation and increase your mental alertness, Mayo Clinic states that there are also drawbacks to napping. This is especially true for individuals already suffering from sleeping disorders. A minor drawback is the fact that you might feel disoriented after taking your daily nap, while a major drawback is the fact that people suffering from sleep deprivation can actually worsen their condition by taking frequent naps during the day.

Conclusion
Gaining a peaceful night’s sleep every day should be a priority in your life. If you have problems with your quality of sleep or if you are struggling to fall asleep at night, you should start by looking at the various factors that can keep you away from a decent sleep. Figuring out what the cause of your problem is would be the first step to take. Once you have determined the problem, a potential solution can be formed to assist with your sleep patterns.

References:
https://www.glozine.com/lifestyle/health/reasons-you-wake-up-tired-with-enough-sleep.html
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/sleep.aspx