Dreaming of a good night’s sleep: Why is getting sleep so difficult, and how can we improve it?
Some nights, it might feel like getting good sleep is impossible. There’s just so much to do and so much to worry about! You feel so tired but can’t fall asleep, you lay there with your eyes open, or perhaps even worse, you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep. Let’s examine 3 reasons you might be getting such poor sleep, how this impacts our bodies and minds, and 5 easy things we can do to improve our sleep tonight.
3 Reasons You Are Probably Getting Poor Sleep
1. Disruption of Circadian Rhythm
Our circadian rhythm is the body’s 24-hour internal clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle, our hormone release, appetite and body temperature. Brains are very reliant on the changing light wavelengths throughout the day and night to maintain this cycle. Our brains are literally programmed to ‘read’ the horizon light – morning light wakes our brains up, and evening/dusk light shuts us down. One factor of modern life that disrupts our circadian rhythm is lighting. With technology being as advanced as it is, that means we have access to lights brighter and more effective than ever in human history. Modern lighting, including screens, that shine at all hours of the day, affects chemical communication to the brain disrupting our internal clock. Another influence on our circadian rhythm is scheduling. Whether due to swing shifts, personal time management, or our intensely busy schedules, when we constantly change our schedules and routines, our brain doesn’t know when to wake and sleep. This lack of consistency makes it hard for the body to develop a rhythm, impacting our ability to fall and stay asleep.
2. The Click-Swipe Insomnia
Not only does technology negatively affect our circadian rhythm due to the light (especially when we are going on our phone before bed), but brain wave activation associated with tech use interferes with sleep cycles. “Doomscrolling” can be a pattern we easily fall into, both during the day and right before bed, where we scroll through endless bad news. Not only are we exposing ourselves to the blue light of the phone before bed, but we are exposing ourselves to upsetting news, increasing anxiety or depression (especially in the case of social media use), causing an increase of stress just as our body is supposed to be calming for the night, resulting in delayed and disrupted sleep.
3. Wake Up and Go Signals
Our brains and bodies interpret stress hormones as ‘wake up and go’ signals. If your anxiety is on the rise, so is sleep disruption. People may ruminate about worries while trying to fall asleep, they may have increased nightmares, or they may find themselves restless and struggling to stay still. Stress can impact both falling asleep and staying asleep. Even anxiety about sleep can negatively impact sleep. For example, if someone is anticipating not being able to sleep, they get worried before bed, and then their body produces ‘wake up’ chemicals. Additionally, it may be more difficult to stay asleep, as the increased tension and rumination make it difficult to achieve deep sleep, making us wake more frequently. Anxiety increases sleeplessness, which then in turn increases anxiety – creating a vicious cycle to try to combat and manage.
How Does Lack of Sleep Impact Our Bodies and Brains?
Sleep loss has many adverse effects both mentally and physically, which are only exacerbated by chronic lack of sleep.
- Lack of sleep can impact our ability to regulate our emotions, prompting higher levels of irritability and predicting anger.
- People who are not getting enough sleep have a higher risk of intrusive thoughts and memories, negatively impacting their mood and behaviors.
- There is a high impact on our ability to concentrate on daily tasks, which can be very dangerous in the case of driving (driver fatigue can be very dangerous).
- Chronic sleep loss has a high impact on long term health, with a higher risk of chronic disease such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes to name a few.
- Even brief difficulties with sleep negative impact your immune system, making it hard to fight off illnesses
- Studies have demonstrated a correlation between sleep loss and depression, identifying lack of sleep as a predictor for depressive symptoms.
- Sleep loss greatly impacts cognitive functioning such as working memory, processing speed, problem solving, and organization
- Chronic sleep loss is also associated with negative effects on metabolism and weight gain
5 Ways to Prioritize and Improve Your Sleep Tonight
Sleep is crucial to both our mental and physical health, so what are some concrete ways we can improve our sleep?
1. Give Your Brain Consistent Cues with a Consistent Routine
We can leverage what we know about brain functioning to get better sleep. If we go to bed at the same time each night, and wake up at the same time each morning, regardless of the day of the week, our sleep improves vastly. We can also build in consistency to our bedtime routines – such as brushing your teeth, washing your face, or reading a chapter of a light book – doing the same tasks/activities, at the same time and in the same order most days of the week. Consistency in time and routine will help your brain and body learn the cues for bedtime; making you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
2. Curate Your Bedroom Environment
Your bed and space for sleeping should be a peaceful environment built for relaxation and sleep. I know it’s hard – but consider removing technology from your bedroom. Get an old school alarm clock, your brain will thank you. Take steps to make sure your bed is comfortable and you have the space around you set up to be relaxing to your standards. Keep a lower temperature in the room at night, keep blinds shut and lights to a minimum, and limit your bed only for sleeping. That way, your body will know that when the room is set, it is time to rest.
3. Limit Naps, and Time of Naps
When we are exhausted, napping can feel like a good solution. However, napping can sometimes have negative effects on our ability to sleep later in the day. Try to not nap later than 3:00pm in the afternoon, and if you are taking naps, ensure they are no longer than 20 minutes.
4. Eat & Move for Sleep
What we put in our bodies and our daily activities and movement impact our sleep a great deal. To improve sleep limit your drug and alcohol intake, which includes caffeine. If you are consuming caffeine during the day, try not to have any after 3:00 pm. Additionally, many people think marijuana helps them sleep – although it can make you feel drowsy and fall asleep, it actually impacts quality of sleep negatively and can cause sleep disorder. In addition, getting exercise and eating a healthy diet can also aid in sleep. Regular exercise really improves sleep – but try not to exercise in the 2-3 hours before bed.
5. If You’re Up, Get Up
Often, if we are struggling to sleep, whether going to bed or waking up in the middle of the night, we tend to toss and turn and lay in bed. But laying in bed awake is actually not great for our sleep. If you cannot fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and engage in a calming, low light activity until you feel sleepy, such as listening to calming music or reading a book. Once you feel sleepy, return to bed.
What if I do all these things and I still am not sleeping well?
With our busy schedules and immersion in technology, good sleep can sometimes feel like an unreachable dream. However there are tricks we can use to help our brains and bodies get the rest they need. But as a reminder, these tips can only go so far. Clinically disordered sleep such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or insomnia will require direct treatment in addition to these simple fixes. If you are concerned that you or a loved one has a sleep disorder, contact a doctor or sleep specialist today. There are further proven effective services such as iCBT (a type of therapy) and medication that can help. Therapy treatment plans differ among sleep disorders, so getting a proper diagnosis is very helpful in getting the correct help. Prioritize your rest today, to ensure you are awakening with your best foot forward tomorrow.
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