Getting enough restful sleep is essential for overall health. A lack of quality sleep over time is linked to a wide range of health issues- high blood pressure, heart disease, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Therefore, it’s important to take steps to ensure you’re getting a good night’s rest. A good night of sleep should have you feeling refreshed and awake the next day. In case you are feeling tired upon waking up, or throughout the day, you should try to know the reasons behind your poor sleep quality. Read on to learn more about it-
Reasons For Poor Sleep Quality
Late Night Heavy Snacks
Eating (high-calorie meals with large amounts of fat or carbohydrates) too close to bedtime can lead to compromised sleep. Consuming a late-night snack in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing but eating the wrong foods which are heavy and greasy at a late hour can have a significant impact on the quality of your sleep. Such food items can shift the body’s focus away from sleep and could cause you to wake up frequently throughout the night.
Late-night snacking could lead to gastrointestinal discomfort during sleep, such as indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux. If you can’t resist cravings, better to opt for nutrient-packed snacks like fruits, nuts, and seeds for better sleep. But be mindful of sugary or caffeinated foods, as well as high-sodium snacks.
Stress & Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are some of the most common reasons for poor sleep quality. It can affect sleep in different ways which include difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep, restless, unsatisfying sleep, and sleep disturbance. Anxiety makes a person feel stressed, worried, and even fearful. One may also have disturbing dreams as a result of anxiety which can cause further sleep disruptions. Excess worry and fear make it harder to fall asleep, causing more problems in sleep schedule and routine. Insufficient sleep can then cause further stress.
To help your anxiety and sleep, you can do various things on your own at home. You can try relaxing activities such as warm baths, meditation, de-stressing breathing exercises, and yoga before bed to help you wind down after a long day. These methods will help you learn to calm your nerves and get into the right headspace before sleep.
Alcohol & Caffeine
Alcohol and caffeine before bedtime can harm the quantity and quality of sleep.
Research suggests that long-term alcohol use can result in insomnia and other chronic sleep problems. Alcohol has sedative effects that can induce feelings of relaxation and sleepiness, but the consumption of excess alcohol has been linked to poor sleep quality and duration. Alcohol is initially sedating, but you pay for it in the second half of the night. Therefore people who binge drink before bed often experience insomnia symptoms and feel excessively sleepy the following day. Alcohol is also a diuretic which increases urine output, and you may find yourself waking up to go to the bathroom.
To help assess how alcohol may be affecting your sleep, you should go for an alcohol-free reset period, or an alcohol holiday, lasting at least two weeks. This will make you clear how much alcohol affects your sleep. Drinking too much or too close to bedtime is the reason behind your poor sleep quality.
Caffeine can also have a disruptive effect on your sleep. The most obvious effect of the stimulant is that it can make it hard for you to fall asleep. It can also reduce the amount of deep sleep that you enjoy. Therefore reduce your daily caffeine intake if you notice insomnia, anxiety, or headaches impacting your ability to sleep.
Uncomfortable Bedroom Environment
We know that sleep quality and duration are directly tied to various aspects of human health, but did you know that when it comes to quality sleep, the bedroom environment also matters? From temperature to light and more, sleep researchers have found that our environments have real and measurable effects on sleep.
A cool, dark, relaxing, cosy, and clutter-free environment is essential for a good night’s rest. Ensure the room temperature is comfortable and there is not too much light. In case you like to read in bed before bed, keep the light levels as low as possible. Dimmer lights will help you fall asleep more easily. Consider cooling mattress pads and lightweight bedding to stay comfortable.
Noise Leads To Poor Sleep Quality
Noise while sleeping or while trying to fall asleep can be an annoying problem.
Exposure to too much noise during sleep might wake you up. Even noises that don’t wake you up have subconscious effects on your sleep. Especially in cities, it’s quite common to deal with the sounds of traffic, sirens, aeroplanes, or neighbours gathering outside. All these noises will prevent you from falling asleep initially, and once you wake up, it will leave you unable to return to sleep.
To avoid this poor sleep quality, it’s important to protect your sleep environment against unwanted sound for the duration of your night’s rest. Depending on your living situation, you may not be able to physically soundproof your bedroom. Ear plugs and eye masks are effective tools as long as they don’t interfere with your ability to sleep. Also, try to put your electronic devices on silent mode so that notifications don’t wake you up at night. Being aware of the noise-related disruptions to your sleep environment can get you to a place of better, more enjoyable sleep.
Using Electronics Before Bed
Our phones are constant companions, even during the wee hours of the night. And we probably don’t even realize how our smartphone habits are affecting our sleep and brain health. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that we should stop using electronic devices, like our cell phones, at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
The blue light emitted from smartphones, tablets and other electronics can mess with our circadian rhythm and make it hard for us to fall asleep. That particular wavelength is quite activating and can interfere with sleep by suppressing the production of melatonin, a natural hormone released in the evening to help us feel tired and ready for sleep. Studies have shown that using electronic devices before bed keeps our minds engaged and delays sleep. As a result, we are more likely to feel tired the next day.
In case you cannot avoid it, make sure to dim the display as much as possible.
Many cell phones, tablets, and other portable electronic devices are equipped with a “nighttime mode” that is easier on the eyes before bed. You may also invest in orange-tinted eyeglasses specifically designed to shield your eyes from blue light emissions. But ideally, just limit screen time.
Ageing Causes Poor Sleep Quality
As you age, sleep patterns tend to change. It is common for older adults to experience changes in the quality and duration of their sleep due to mental and physical health conditions. Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs can contribute to unanticipated effects on sleep. Changes in the production of hormones, such as melatonin and cortisol, may also play a role in disrupted sleep in older adults.
Older people can take a few steps to improve their sleep. They should develop habits that encourage quality sleep like exercising daily, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and large meals late in the day. Taking a warm bath, reading, or finding some quiet time before getting into bed may also help them.
Apart from all these above-mentioned reasons there are some other causes as well such as physical illness, pain, mental health disorders, unhealthy lifestyles & routines and medication. For many people, a combination of these factors can initiate and exacerbate insomnia. To improve poor sleep quality, it’s important to understand the underlying causes of your sleep problems.