Factors Preventing You From Having a Good Night’s Rest
Not having a restful sleep is typically blamed on physical changes related to the advancement of age or because of stress. But we fail to realize that there are actually numerous reasons that contribute to the problem. The good thing is that most of these are fixable with minor lifestyle changes.
Bad Sleeping Habits That Prevent a Restful Sleep
Below are some of the most common sleeping habits that may cause you not to have a restful sleep. You have to correct these habits right away so you can again enjoy a good night’s rest.
1. Sleeping with the lights on
Sleeping with the lights on is a bad sleeping habit because it disturbs the usual sleep-wake cycle of your body. When your brain senses that there is light, regardless of how small that light is, it thinks that it's already morning. Thus, it sends a signal to your body to emerge out of sleep.
On the other hand, when you sleep with the lights off, the darkness will trigger the production of melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep.
2. Feeling pain
Feeling pain can’t be categorized as a bad sleeping habit since you can’t control it, however, it still prevents you from having a good night’s sleep.
When you feel pain, your brain sends a signal which disrupts your sleep during the REM cycle. This phase is responsible for deep sleep which when interrupted results in lighter sleep where you are partially awakened over and over again.
3. Disrupted breathing
When there is a blocking of oxygen flow to the brain, warning signs are sent and this cause you to wake up, thus interrupting your sleep.
Even if you stayed in bed for more than 8 hours, you will still not feel rested if you are falling in and out of sleep caused by breathing disruption.
4. Medication
There are side effects caused by some medications that result to lack of sleep or the interruption of deep sleep. Common medications that have this effect are corticosteroids, antidepressants, and asthma pills.
Lifestyle Change to Help You Have a Restful Slumber
If you experience sleep problems, then perhaps you need a lifestyle change. If you’re used to sleeping with the lights turned on, then you should gradually modify this.
If you are experiencing pain or breathing difficulty, you should consider talking to your physician so the underlying problem can be treated.
If you think you need a lifestyle change, make sure that you follow a gradual process to give your body time to adjust. Aside from changing or completely eliminating your bad sleeping habits, you can also incorporate into your diet various foods that help induce sleep.
Taking food rich in antioxidants can help you achieve a restful sleep, especially those high in melatonin. Aside from eating healthy food, you can also take supplements rich in antioxidants like Organic and Kosher Certified PURE Freeze Dried Açai Berry Powder Scoop. You can add this to your regular drink.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any diseases.