Sleep is so essential to human health that improving its quality can meaningfully affect how we feel and function over the long term. A great night's sleep can help you:
- Feel good throughout the day
- Improve mental clarity
- Reduce the chance of avoidable accidents
- Improve relationships with others and yourself
- Reduce stress, anxiety and low mood
- Lower the risk of diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and infections
- Support memory
So what is undermining my sleep?
Why do so many people struggle with poor sleep? According to a sleep-related article in the Townsend Letter, here are some potential sleep thieves, or influences you may not have considered:
- Too much alcohol or caffeine
- Poor diet
- Exposure to screens and blue light after sundown
- Not enough exercise
- A poor mattress
- A bright bedroom
- Eating late
- Stressful environments
- Lack of sunlight and time in nature
- Unsettled emotions
- Excessive stress
What you can do
Self-observation is the first, most important tool for better sleep and overall quality of life. Look over the list above and see which may already be part of your daily routine. Becoming more mindful of our environments, habits and routines is essential to the process.
If you have tried assessing and improving everything on the list above and still aren't getting restful sleep, there may be other factors to consider. Hormone imbalance, sleep disorders, nutrient deficiencies or other health conditions may be worth investigating with the help of a doctor.
We believe you deserve the best sleep, the highest quality of life and improved overall health, and we will work with you every step of the way toward achieving it.
References
- Berkson, D. L. (2019, February/March). New Whys and Ways to Sleep Better, Especially After 40. Townsend Letter, (#427/428), 42–49.
This article is for general education and isn't a substitute for individual medical advice. For a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.