You’re Not Healthy Unless Your Sleep Is Healthy

Have you ever laid in bed restless, tried counting sheep and thought over 100 sheep is just too many? Getting enough quality sleep can be a challenge for some people. Especially with overflowing schedules, endless cups of coffee and seemingly endless responsibilities. Even if you find time to sleep, many people still don’t wake up feeling rested. To ensure a good night’s sleep, avoid these eight things that prevent truly restful sleep.

Late Night Munchies

When you eat, your body gets to work processing the food. These processes are associated with lower levels of melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. This means you may have difficulty falling asleep and not get as much quality sleep during the night if you indulge in those late night snacks. Skip them and also see your waist line slim down.

Night Time Exercising

Your body naturally cools down in preparation for falling asleep. If you exercise too late in the evening, and don’t give your body sufficient time to recover, you may be disrupting your sleep cycle. The rise in body temperature, along with elevated adrenaline levels, can prevent you from falling asleep or getting deep restful sleep. Plan morning or afternoon workouts instead.

Medicines

Many medications can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. Even some vitamins and supplements contain natural stimulants that can cause you to have trouble getting rest. Make sure to take medication as directed and see your doctor if you are frequently experiencing difficulty in sleeping.

Heart Burn

The average person doesn’t see acid reflux as a serious problem, so it frequently goes untreated. You may think it is the Mexican food you ate, or some other reason for the heartburn. However, this seemingly minor issue can easily prevent you from getting quality sleep. When you lie down in bed, acid from your stomach can get into your esophagus and cause painful heart burn. This can keep waking you up and needs to be addressed.

Furry Friends in Bed

You may love your pets like they are part of the family, but letting them sleep in your bed at night may be preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep. They move around and take up your space, often waking you several times during the night. This disrupts your natural sleep cycle and doesn’t allow you to enter deep sleep.

Bye Bye Booze

Consuming alcohol too close to bed time can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. It gives you the short-lived illusion that it will help you sleep by making you feel tired initially, only to wake you up a few hours later. When your blood alcohol level drops and dehydration kicks in, your body responds by waking you up.

Exhaustion

Being overly tired does not necessarily help you get good sleep. Exhaustion often comes with stress and over stimulation, which leaves you feeling tired tossing and turning all night. For quality sleep, it is best to give yourself some down time before crawling into bed so that your mind can relax, allowing you to get better rest.

Pain

Pain can keep you from getting good sleep and feeling rested. Even if it doesn’t wake you up in the night, your pain receptors working overtime can prevent you from entering deep restful sleep.

If you want to wake up feeling rested and ready for the day, steer clear of the common mistakes that are preventable. Additionally, be sure to address any health issues that may be interrupting your good night’s rest with your trusted physician.