Why You Might Be Having Trouble Sleeping

There is nothing more critical to your overall health or day to day mood than you overall sleep. Getting the proper amount of quality sleep helps your mind to store memories, deal with emotions, solve problems, and heal your body from the wear and tear that it is subject to during day-to-day life. If you are having trouble sleeping, you should work to find a solution to help you sleep better to reap the health benefits of a good night’s sleep. Here are three reasons why you might be having trouble sleeping and what you can do to rectify them.

Stress

The first and most common reason that you might be having trouble sleeping is because of intense levels of stress. Stress causes your cortisol levels to rise. Cortisol is a hormone released when stressed which can stimulate the flight or fight response, increasing adrenaline, and decreasing sleep signals in the brain. According to the American Psychological Association, this can make sleeping less easy and less deep. Speaking to a therapist can help you find solutions to your stress and identify if you need medication or other treatments to cope with your stress and sleep issues.

A Sleep Disorder

Another reason why you might be having trouble sleeping is because of a sleep disorder. There are dozens of different kinds of disorders that impact your sleep, which you might have and simply not know. One very common sleep disorder that can ruin your sleep quality is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disorder where your breathing stops and starts during your sleep. According to Cedar Park Premier Dentistry, sleep apnea can lead to headaches, trouble breathing and irritability. If you think you might have sleep apnea, you can have a sleep study done by your doctor or record your sleep and see if you hear strange snoring or breathing or choking.

Drinking Too Much Caffeine

The final reason that you might be having trouble sleeping is because you are drinking too much caffeine during the day. Caffeine is a stimulant that blocks your brain's adenosine receptors, preventing your brain from feeling tired. This is great in the morning when you are trying to wake up but can be detrimental to falling asleep and staying asleep at night. If you are a caffeine junkie who has trouble sleeping, consider if decreasing your caffeine intake might be a reasonable solution.

Having trouble sleeping at night is never any fun. But if you aren’t solving the underlying reasons that you aren’t sleeping well, you will never make progress. Consider if you might be dealing with any of these three reasons that are impacting your sleep.

Check out this article on what you can do to improve your alertness throughout the day!