Overuse of Sleep-Aids
Your body builds up a tolerance to most medications over time so, if you regularly use sleep aids, it could be more harmful than helpful. Additionally,
studies have shown that most sleep aids only provide an average of 35 more minutes of sleep and tend to leave patients feeling groggier in the morning. Try swapping prescription sleep aids with natural melatonin supplements, which work with your body's natural chemistry to help start sleep.
Night Sweats
Night sweats have a myriad of causes, from intense workouts to thermostat wars or hormonal flux. Waking up with night sweats is one of the leading causes of sleep disruption. That’s because the average skin temperature is 91 degrees while the ideal sleep temperature is just 88 degrees. Finding sleep products that not only moderate but optimize your temperature is key.
To avoid the negative impact of persistent night sweats, invest in a mattress that offers
advanced cooling technology, including micro-encapsulated surface infusions—a cooling injection that adjusts to your sleep temperature throughout the night. Natural materials found in both
pillows and
sheets also offer greater breathability.
Anxiety and Racing Thoughts
For many that suffer from chronic insomnia, anxiety and racing thoughts are at the root of the issue. It might sound counter-intuitive, but simply trying to go to sleep is a leading cause of racing thoughts. These thoughts can flood the mind in a variety of ways. For some they can be so severe, feeling as though a movie is playing in their mind making it impossible to fall asleep.
To conquer the issue, we recommend disassociating your bedroom from the anxiety that's keeping you awake. Keep the lights off and move to another room if/when anxiety hits. Employ breathing exercises, journaling, and calming music or white noise until your thoughts settle. Once you're more relaxed, move back to the bedroom to doze off.
Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea
Doctors estimate that
nearly 80% of sleep apnea cases go undiagnosed and untreated, making it one of the most common causes for poor sleep. Since many sufferers of sleep apnea don't actually snore, they often assume that they don't suffer from this common sleep ailment, but habitual snoring that suddenly stops is often a sign that sleep apnea has progressed in severity. If you suffer from fatigue even after sleeping a full night and find yourself waking during the night without obvious cause, you could be suffering from sleep apnea. Good news for those that suffer from this syndrome—nearly all cases are completely treatable with lifestyle changes and/or a simple oral device.
Untreated back pains
While back pain might not be keeping you from getting to sleep, it's likely that chronic back pain wakes you up intermittently throughout the night, pulling your body out of restorative deep sleep. Doctors call these periods of partial alertness caused by chronic pain "micro-arousals,” which are often not enough to wake you fully, but will affect the natural rhythm of your sleep cycle. Try applying a heating pad and stretching gently before bed. An
adjustable bed frame and a high-quality
mattress with hybrid foam comfort can also help with back pain, since they reduce pain near critical pressure points and help improve circulation.