Why Do I Have Trouble Sleeping At Night: Causes And Solutions
Not being able to sleep is a very common problem in our society There are many people who are not able to sleep the recommended 8 hours and wonder: ‘why do I have trouble sleeping at night?’.
The cost of not resting well means that neither the mind nor the body are repaired as they should, manifesting itself in daily life in the form of lower performance, in addition to negative emotions such as depression and irritability.
Fortunately, sleep problems, whatever their cause, have a solution. You just have to identify what causes and maintains them in order to address the problem and be able to enjoy a well-deserved rest.
Next Let’s take a closer look at the causes behind having trouble falling asleep in addition to seeing what can be done.
Why do I have trouble sleeping at night? Possible causes
The first thing to do when looking for a solution to insomnia problems is to find the cause that causes them
They can be very varied, the main 10 being the following.
1. (Stress)(/clinic/types-of-stress
Stress is clearly the main problem why you can’t sleep well.
Any situation in which the psychological stability of the person is altered contributes to generating a whole series of thoughts related to concern about the future.
When you go to bed, you don’t stop thinking about matters that have been left unfinished, or about some situation in which you don’t know how it will end.
Thus, the brain is activated by thinking about catastrophic scenarios or trying to find a solution to the problem in question, and therefore, it is more difficult to fall asleep.
2. Alcohol consumption
It is common to think that alcohol helps you sleep. This is not exactly like this.
The truth is that alcohol does cause drowsiness and a reduced ability to react, however, As time passes, the person may feel that it is more difficult to fall asleep
That is why, even if it is just a glass or a bottle of beer, it is advisable to avoid consuming alcoholic beverages during the two hours before going to bed.
3. Too much lighting
Although sensitivity to light varies greatly from person to person, there are those who are able to fall asleep in full sun while lying in a hammock on the beach, the lighting in the place where you are going to sleep can make sleep significantly more difficult.
The human being is a diurnal animal. This means that it needs to rest during the night, and biologically speaking, it is programmed so that, in the absence of light, it initiates sleep.
If during the night, while in the room, there is some type of light stimulation, the brain can interpret that it is still daytime or that you need to be awake which means it will be harder for you to fall asleep.
4. Too much noise
As with the previous case, there are people who are more sensitive to noise than others, however, There is often an unwritten consensus that auditory stimuli are difficult to ignore when trying to sleep
The ideal is absolute silence. If you can’t get it, either because you live on a street that is too noisy or for some other reason, you can resign yourself by buying some good plugs.
5. Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant substance and everyone knows its main use, which is to keep us awake.
Not only coffee contains this methylxanthine, but also chocolate and tea (yes, caffeine and theine are the same).
6. Inappropriate temperature
The temperature of the room influences how comfortable you are and also how quickly you can fall asleep.
It is common that in winter we get too hot, while in summer we get too cold.
Temperatures lower than 15 ºC and higher than 23 ºC make it difficult to sleep
7. Overexcitement
Many people, after a long day of work, like to relieve the stress of everyday life by doing a little exercise. However, Sometimes, doing too much physical activity can do more harm than good
Many people suffer from insomnia because they have become overexcited while playing a sport between the afternoon and evening.
Their heart is racing, in addition to the fact that the brain receives a high blood flow, making the person very alert.
Sometimes it happens that people have sex at night and, afterwards, they wonder ‘why it’s so hard for me to sleep at night’, confident that having sex would make them fall asleep immediately due to exhaustion.
Related to the aforementioned, this is also an activity in which the heart is activated, causing the body to remain alert and not able to fall asleep.
8. Dinner too heavy
Eating a heavy, heavy dinner makes digestion difficult This can cause stomach pain, reflux, and gastrointestinal discomfort.
If you suffer from burning, lying down worsens the situation, so the person will be forced to get up to try to calm this annoying problem and cross their fingers so that the reflux does not rise in the form of vomit.
9. Thyroid problems
If the thyroid produces too many hormones, various symptoms can occur, such as changes in weight, nervousness, hypersensitivity to heat and, among others, insomnia problems.
Sleep problems are usually a symptom of hyperthyroidism and this problem can be detected through an analysis to see the levels of the hormone thyrotropin (TSH).
10. Restless Legs Syndrome
Many people suffer from this syndrome, whose symptoms range from tingling in the legs to itching and tightness. These discomforts appear at rest and improve with movement
That is why, when symptoms appear, the person is unable to stop moving the extremities with the intention of calming the discomfort.
It is one of the main causes of insomnia in people over 45 years of age.
How to solve this problem?
After having detected the problem that causes insomnia, It is possible to address it to get to sleep
1. Take a hot shower
Hot water dilates blood vessels and lowers muscle tone inducing a deep state of relaxation.
That is why taking a good shower is one of the best ways to end the day and then, when you go to bed, it is very easy to fall asleep.
2. Let your imagination run wild
A good way to get to sleep, especially for those who suffer from anxiety, is try to defocus attention on day-to-day problems and concentrate on imagining a beautiful landscape
Coffee and other stimulating drinks are not recommended to be consumed after 6 p.m There are those who, even if they drink a cup of tea after 2 pm, are not able to fall asleep at night.
It is for this reason that the best thing to do if you are a heavy consumer of this substance is to try to reduce your consumption, and do it especially in the morning, which is the time when stimulation is really required.
4. Soundproof the room
If the problem is that the neighborhood where you live is too noisy It is as simple as getting doors and windows with a soundproofing system
Also, if this option cannot be chosen, it is possible to counteract the madding crowd with ambient sound or relaxing music, whether classical or New Age music, such as Enya or Celtic Woman.
5. Read as it was done in the past
Reading a book before bed can help you relax and, consequently, having an easier time achieving the long-awaited dream.
However, not every reading format is valid. E-books, cell phones, computers and other types of devices with screens are not a good option for reading before going to sleep, since the lights on these screens activate the brain.
The ideal is to read as you have done all your life, with a physical book.
6. Exercise
It is true that we have said before that physical exercise, done in excess, makes it difficult to sleep, especially if you do an activity that activates the heart a lot.
However, everything must be done in the right measure and, just as the antidote is obtained from poison, exercise can help us fall into a deep sleep as soon as we fall exhausted into bed.
It is advisable not to do it immediately before going to sleep since we will still be too active to fall asleep.
7. Seek professional help
If you have suffered from insomnia for a long time and the cause of the problem does not seem to be any of those mentioned above, it is best to seek professional help.
It may be that the problem is of biological origin and that there is a deregulation of hormones or some problem at the brain level.
Also, it may be due to problems in sleeping habits that are not being controlled.
That is why going to a doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist and, if necessary, a nutritionist can be the first steps to overcome this problem whose degree of interference in daily life is so high.
