id=”article-body” class=”row” section=”article-body”> Sleepless nights can ruin your day, especially if they happen often.
PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou This story is part of New Year, New You, everything you need to develop healthy habits that will last all the way through 2020 and beyond. One of my absolute favorite things in life is a good night of uninterrupted sleep, but in certain seasons of life it’s been hard to come by. I’d need way more than two hands to count the number of restless nights I’ve spent waking up several times before the morning. And, I’m not alone in this frustrating sleep disturbance — one study showed that 35% of Americans woke up at least three nights a week.
Sleep is critical to overall health. Long-term sleep deprivation causes heart disease, obesity and depression. Plus, anyone who’s missed out on a restful night knows how groggy, 예스카지노 irritable and unproductive you feel the next day.
Waking up in the night is actually a form of insomnia, and it can be caused by anything from stress to eating spicy foods too close to bed. While insomnia can sometimes be a serious problem needing medical attention, its causes can also often be treated with simple lifestyle changes. Here are seven reasons why you aren’t sleeping through the night, and what to do about it. Hopefully, you’ll be back to feeling well-rested in no time.
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1. Getting up to go to the bathroom
Running to the restroom is no way to spend the middle of the night.
Getty Images One common cause of interrupted sleep is nighttime bathroom trips. Most people wake up throughout the night to relieve themselves, but if you stay awake for too long after, it can disrupt your sleep cycle. Causes of this frustrating phenomenon range from simply drinking too much water to more serious complications including diabetes.
If your bladder wakes you up at night, first try to cut down on evening fluid intake. Don’t drink anything two hours before bedtime, especially alcohol or any caffeinated beverages. Alcohol and caffeine are both diuretics, meaning they make your body lose more water, and you have to suffer more bathroom trips.
Also, if you’re on a diuretic medication, like the ones used to treat blood pressure, this could be the culprit of more frequent urination. Nighttime urination can also be a symptom of a UTI or diabetes. If cutting down on fluid intake doesn’t help with your problem, you may want to take a trip to the doctor to rule out these problems.
2. Sleep apnea
If you have sleep apnea, breathing machines can help you get your life back.
Somsak Bumroongwong / EyeEm Another cause of nighttime awakening is sleep apnea — a medical disorder where breathing starts and stops throughout the night. If you wake up with a dry mouth, wake yourself up by snoring loudly, or your partner tells you that you stop breathing in the night, you may be a sufferer of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is no fun — it causes restless nights, daytime fatigue, and a host of other health issues stemming from long-term sleep deprivation.
A doctor will help decide the best course of treatment for you, including the use of breathing machines, lifestyle changes such as losing weight, and even surgery.
3. Anxiety or depression
Worrying about the next day can keep you up at night.
Getty Images Unfortunately, mental health and sleep have a cyclical relationship — anxiety and depression can worsen sleep quality, and sleep deprivation worsens mental health. It can be hard to escape this loop, especially when sleep deprivation comes along with a lack of motivation.
If you wake up during the night, anxious racing thoughts can make it impossible to fall back asleep. Plus, depression has been strongly associated with waking up too early and being unable to drift back off.
For people who suffer from both anxiety and sleep disturbances, cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT) has shown to be effective at treating both. CBT instills lifelong strategies for managing mental health, and targets the root of the behavior rather than the symptoms. Nutritional and herbal supplements are also suggested to be helpful in treating anxiety disorders.
Other methods of relaxation and stress-relief may be helpful, such as meditation, exercise, and finding time for meaningful hobbies. If anxious thoughts are keeping you up, try jotting down a to-do list before you doze off. That way, you can forget about what you have to do tomorrow until the morning actually comes.
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4. Your room is too hot