What's stopping you from getting a superb night's sleep?

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Remember when you could possibly crawl into bed at night and sleep straight through until morning? Now you get up several times each night, wondering when you'll ever get a superb night's sleep again. This change in sleep habits, called sleep fragmentation, is a natural a part of aging, and is frequently nothing to fret about when you can still get seven to nine hours of shut-eye an evening — the sweet spot for optimal health.

The importance of sleep

Sleep is the body's time for restoration and recovery. This is when toxins are released from the brain, tissue is repaired, muscles grow, memories are strengthened, and hormones are released.

Over time, too little or fragmented sleep impairs concentration and mood and increases the danger of obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cognitive decline, premature death, and possibly glaucoma.

Sleep disruptors

There is a protracted list of culprits that may disrupt sleep, and you might have lots of them, compounding the issue. Here are some examples.

Electronics. Electronic gadgets are conveniences of recent life. But when the sunshine from smartphone screens stimulates your brain and prevents you from falling asleep, or when the noise of a TV show, music playlist, or podcast playing overnight wakes you up, they may cause painful unwanted side effects.

Bed partners. Do you've got a bed partner who snores or kicks while sleeping? Are pets or children climbing into bed with you? You cannot sleep through distractions, especially if bed partners push you into uncomfortable sleeping positions.

Food or wine. Eating or drinking anything with caffeine later within the day (comparable to chocolate, tea or coffee) could make it harder to go to sleep. So can breakfast: it tastes good happening, but it will probably come back up as acid within the stomach through the night, causing heartburn. Drinking alcohol within the evening also promotes sleep disturbances. “Alcohol may help you sleep at first, but then it causes you to crash,” says Dr. British.

Basic conditions. Many health conditions can prevent you from sleeping through the night. Examples are sleep apnea (pauses in respiration during sleep), chronic pain, neuropathy (pain, numbness, or tingling within the hands, feet, or legs), hot flashes, stress, anxiety or depression, bladder problems that cause frequent trips to the lavatory at night, or tinnitus (ringing within the ears).

Medicines Pills are speculated to help us cope with health problems, not cause them. Yet some medications interfere with sleep. Examples include some antidepressants, steroids, beta blockers to treat hypertension, and medications that treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

A sleeping environment. Is your bed uncomfortable? Is your room too hot? Is there light coming from the window? All of those can disrupt sleep.

Tips for Better Sleep

Reduce caffeine intake, especially after lunch.
Avoid spicy dinners or late night meals.
Avoid drinking alcohol at night.
Two hours before bed, turn off electronic screens and switch off all lights in your own home.
Keep your bedroom dark and funky.
If you possibly can't sleep, get off the bed, go to a different room, read for 20 minutes, then return to bed.

What are you able to do?

If you frequently get up feeling such as you didn't get enough sleep, and if it's interfering along with your day, it is time to get help. Your primary care doctor can find the explanation for the sleep disturbance and prescribe treatment if crucial.

For example, if you've got heartburn, the treatment is perhaps medication, or a course of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) — a mixture of specific behavior changes, comparable to limiting your time in bed, setting regular wake times, and using rest techniques.

“And often, by changing how long people have trouble sleeping, making behavioral changes, treating underlying problems, and sometimes using targeted sleep medications, we can improve people's sleep and improve their quality of life,” says Dr. British.