What Causes A Bad Night's Sleep?

"To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub". Shakespeare could have been talking about the millions of people who have difficulty falling asleep and millions more who can fall asleep just fine, but they can't stay asleep. Then there are those unfortunate enough to experience both!

Everyone's definition of a "good night's sleep" varies. Some of us, myself included, need at least seven hours of shut eye every night. Others require only five hours of good sleep before they're ready to face the day (and oh, how I envy them!). Not that I don't enjoy a good night's rest, I certainly do, but geez, there are so many things to do, and so much fun to be had! And there are also people for whom a nine or more hour night is the minimum.

Good sleep also means uninterrupted sleep. If it happens only occasionally that you wake up at 3 am, tossing and turning and unable to get back to sleep, that's not really cause for concern. But if it happens on a regular basis, then the cause needs investigation.

So what causes a bad night's sleep? There are a variety of factors that play a part; alcohol, caffeine, stress, and aging are all contributors.

Cutting back on the evening's alcohol intake will help you get a good night's rest. The nightcap you have before turning in simply means you'll fall asleep faster, but you won't necessarily stay asleep. As soon as the alcohol is metabolized, your nervous system activity will increase, which wakes you up. You'll likely , feel lousy, what with that dry, parched mouth feeling. Not a great way to start the day!

If you consume lots of caffeinated drinks like coffee and cola during the day, that will also affect your sleeping patterns. Caffeine is a stimulant. If you suspect that your sleep is being disturbed by caffeine, try eliminating it from your diet over a two week period by gradually decreasing the amount of coffee and cola you consume. Don't just stop altogether, unless your doctor advises it, as caffeine withdrawal can have nasty side effects like headaches and tiredness.

We're all familiar with stress. We can't just push the "stop worrying" button at 11 pm and fall asleep with an untroubled mind. Life would be far easier if we could, but there it is. So we need to either cope or eliminate the stress, which is easier said than done. Regular exercise and a balanced diet will help to alleviate the physical consequences of stress. Dealing with the source of the stress and resolving the underlying issues will also take the pressure off.

As we get older our sleep patterns change. I remember my grandfather complaining as he got older that he just wasn't sleeping like he used to. Of course he wasn't! You don't get the kind of sleep at 80 that you did at 40! Changing hormone levels for both men and women and painful conditions like arthritis and acid reflux can all contribute to lack of sleep. His doctor had given him a clean bill of health and suggested that all his worrying about lack of sleep was actually contributing to the problem. He started playing solitaire for an hour every night before getting into bed, and within weeks he's topped complaining!

So if you're not getting enough sleep, examine what could be causing this and make the necessary changes.

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