Many people do not consider sleep as a priority in their life. They sleep when they feel like it and have lifestyle habits that affect sleep.
Sleep quality and quantity are vital to function at your best and for overall well-being.
If you do not experience proper sleep, you get various sleep troubles affecting your energy, health, and day-to-day life.
This IKEA mattress study explains why you need a quality mattress to sleep well, among other things that are a priority for sleeping better.
Also, as you read on are some surprising things that cause sleep troubles.
Contents
1. Eating Chocolate Before Bedtime
It is okay to enjoy two or three dark chocolate squares but not at night.
Dark chocolate has various benefits to your health, but it does not help promote sleep.
It is an overlooked source of caffeine, for the more the cocoa content, the more the caffeine level it contains.
For this reason, it is a bad idea to have it before bed if you do not want an unwelcome jolt of caffeine before you sleep.
Opt for more sleep-promoting snacks such as nut butter, banana, or low sugar cereal.
2. Your Bedroom Is Too Silent
Sleep specialists advise reducing the noise in your bedroom area, but sometimes they also encourage not to have too much silence.
A too-quiet bedroom can easily trigger your brain to alertness in case of a random sound occurring.
More so, if you are the kind of person that needs a quiet mind to sleep, the quiet bedroom gets in the way of sleep.
Although the best sounds for sleep vary from one person to another, rhythmic sounds like those of nature like white or pink noise are the best options.
3. Peppermint Is Part of Your Night Routine
Whether you are a fan of peppermint herbal tea or you use peppermint toothpaste, peppermint has a stimulating effect.
Also, if you get exposed to peppermint oil, it decreases your sleepiness.
Other scents that energize you and keep you awake are eucalyptus, citrus, and rosemary.
If you are struggling to doze off, opt for a more relaxing tea like jasmine or chamomile.
Plus, switch to a mild toothpaste if you were using a peppermint one at night.
4. Dinner Is Your Biggest Meal of the Day
As you sleep, not only does your metabolic system repairs itself, but your digestive system rests from digestion, so it is best to eat easily digestible meals.
Therefore, when you eat a heavy meal an hour to bed, as an example, the digestive system kicks into action right when you are about to bed.
This is unhealthy for your metabolic health. Plus, shifting eating to later in the day contributes to you gaining weight, high insulin and cholesterol levels, and an increased risk of diabetes and heart diseases, according to various studies.
5. You Love Watching Fast-paced Shows in Bed
Do you love watching a twisty mystery every day before bed? Two things could be keeping you from sleep.
It may be the story you are watching that is too exciting for your mind to calm down or the light from the screen derailing you from sleeping.
Such movies are complicated, dramatic, and suspenseful.
Thus, they cause mental stimulation to the areas of our brain activity that should quiet down to sleep soundly.
The same applies to reading a gripping book. If you are having trouble getting enough rest, switch to comedy or any other sleep-promoting movie.
6. You Have a Thyroid Disorder
At the base of your throat, there is a small gland-producing hormone regulating brain activity and metabolism.
If it does not function properly, it causes sleep problems.
An overactive thyroid causes stimulation to the nervous system, causing you to feel alert, wired, and restless, making it hard to fall asleep.
If it is underactive, you start feeling fatigue and sleepy every time, causing you to sleep at the wrong times and disrupting your usual sleep routine.
Also, an underactive thyroid has a symptom of making you feel cold all the time, and it interferes with sleep.
Unfortunately, most thyroid issues go undiagnosed, but a blood test will determine if you have a thyroid issue disrupting your sleep.
