Everyday Habits That Can Affect Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important things for the human body to stay active and healthy, for it is the means to recharge the body and the mind.
Lack of sleep can be the underlying reason for problems in life such as work, health, or relationships. Most people do not even realize the cause and effect of their sleep deprivation.
There are thousands of varying habits that can be directly attributed to the cause of bad sleeping patterns. There are the well known reasons, and there are the less common reasons that often go unnoticed.
One must identify their own particular habits and figure out how to correct them.
This can be difficult when the habits that trouble the sleep cycle have normally been in everyday life for years without notice or restraint.
Common Causes:
For common habits, the means of solution can generally be a matter of will.
Smoking
If a smoker, quitting is the best solution. If not, then one should at least not smoke within a few hours prior to going to sleep. This can be attributed to the fact that cigarettes are a stimulant and could very well be the cause for restless nights.
One study said that smokers are 4 times more likely than non smokers to feel like they haven’t had a good night’s rest after they sleep. This could be from symptoms of withdrawal during rest.
Eating and Drinking
Eating before bed can also cause troubled sleep. Especially when eating foods with high sugar content or anything else that may be difficult to digest prior to going to sleep.
This is because sleep is the body’s time to rejuvenate and forcing it to digest food during rest is making it work over-time.
The effects of caffeinated beverages and energy drinks throughout the day can also be at fault. Reducing the amount of these beverages taken during the day and decreasing a dependence on them could resolve this problem.
Staring at a Screen
Another reason for difficulty with sleep could be glaring at the computer for too long before bed. Studies have shown that the bright lights of a computer can interrupt the body’s internal clock and disrupt the production of melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the body that is essential in helping control the sleep to waking cycle.
Coping Mechanisms
One important thing to begin paying attention to is how stress or boredom affects one’s actions. How people handle stress and boredom is often a habitual vice.
Coping mechanisms for stress are necessary, however, if the mode of coping is unhealthy it will often effect sleep and other aspects of life.
It is important to replace negative habits with positive ones. A better alternative could possibly be exercise or pursuing a new hobby.
It is important to monitor these actions so as to not allow replacement habits to become unhealthy. For instance, if exercise is within three hours before bed-time, it will stimulate the heart, brain and muscles which can cause troubled sleep.
While exercise is a good replacement habit, it is important to wisely choose when and how much to do the activity.
It is important for a good night sleep to figure out what could be the root cause and correct it. With proper rest a person may begin to look, feel, and handle everything in life better.
After all, a rested body and mind is more apt to solving or overcoming life’s problems.
