The Real Reasons Why Your Sleep is Suffering
By Genevieve Cunningham
They say that a dog is man's best friend, but if we're really telling the absolute truth, we all know that man's best friend is really sleep. Sleep can change your whole mood. It can turn a bad day completely around. It can help you heal and improve your mental state. It's almost a miracle worker. Unfortunately, most of us don't get enough sleep. We stay up all hours of the night and day, and when we try to sleep, we toss and turn. But why? If sleep is so good for us, why do our bodies and minds resist it so much? If you're not getting the sleep you need, take a look at these real reasons why you can't sleep, plus some tips for finally drifting off at night.
Technology
Technology is so great. It provides us opportunity for more work, information at the push of a button, and instant access to people all over the world. It's truly amazing. But the manner in which we use technology -- through the use of a screen -- isn't necessarily the healthiest approach. Screens strain our eyes and wind up our minds. And when we use them close to bedtime, they completely wreck our sleep. If you're constantly using technology and can't sleep at night, try giving it up at night and see if your sleep improves.
Stress
Everyone has stress. We have stress from work and families and life in general. And the truth is that we probably can't avoid stress. But if you don't learn to manage your stress, then it can damage your health -- most often starting with your sleep. If you suddenly can't sleep, take a look at your life and see if there are any new stressful situations happening. If so, use stress management techniques such as exercise or meditation to lower the stress. Once that stress is under control, your sleep may finally improve, and your health will probably quickly follow.
Lack of Routine
As much as we like to resist it, our bodies actually like routine. They like repetition. They like to know what's coming next. Routine allows our bodies and minds to fully relax. Do you have a bedtime routine? If not, it's time to create one. You might go for a walk, have a hot shower, read a little bit of a book, stretch, drink hot tea, and then go to bed. And to make it effective, you'll do this every night. As your body and mind grow accustomed to the routine, you'll start to fall asleep faster, and the quality of your sleep will likely improve.
Sleep can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Sometimes we don't get to pick which, but many times, our sleeping conditions are within our control! Take a look at your life to determine what's interrupting your sleep, make adjustments where necessary, and finally get good sleep for better health moving forward.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in West Jordan, Utah.