Waking up at night is a frustrating problem. Work, family, your health, and even your sleeping conditions may all be to blame for you waking up every two hours.
When you are constantly waking up throughout the night, it can be detrimental to your mental and physical health. Not only are you probably overdosing on caffeine, but your lack of sleep is also probably affecting several aspects of your life.
Luckily, in most cases, making a few lifestyle changes can help you get a better night’s sleep and stay asleep longer.
From how you’re going to sleep to what you ate for dinner, this guide will give you some of the most common reasons you might be waking up every hour and what to do about it.
Red-eye aside, there are serious mental and physical health problems that can arise when you are sleep deprived.
According to the Mayo Clinic, adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimal health benefits.
They also suggest that your sleep quality is just as important as sleep quantity. In other words, just because you may be lying in your bed for ten hours a night, if you are constantly waking up, you aren’t getting the quality sleep your body needs.
Your body needs quality sleep to restore itself each day. Your immune system especially needs sleep to help your body fight off infections, for example.
Mentally, if you aren’t getting enough sleep, you’ll probably be feeling sluggish and unfocused for large parts of the day.
One of the main reasons you might be waking up often is because of what you ate or drank before going to bed.
If you consumed too much alcohol right before going to bed, for example, you probably won’t get quality, restorative sleep.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol can not only cause insomnia and interrupted sleep but it can also alter your sleep-wake cycles, also known as your circadian rhythms throughout the day.
Eating poorly before bed also isn’t doing you any favors. That greasy piece of pizza or spicy nachos may be causing you indigestion or painful heartburn.
What you are eating and drinking at night might be to blame for frequent urination, trips to the bathroom, or stomach pains in the night.
At dinner time, and especially right before bed, choose meals that won’t upset your stomach or keep you up all night. Clean, fresh food is always the best choice.
Limit your alcohol as well and you should be able to kick any stomach related wake-ups.
Your phone or television might be affecting your sleep quality in more ways than one. For starters, looking at your phone right before bed may be causing you unnecessary stress.
Just because you received an email late at night, doesn’t mean you have to look at it. Unless you are going to do something about it, looking at your emails right before bed might just cause you to lay awake or wake up frequently due to stress.
The lights from screens can also be distracting and harmful to your eyes and mental state when you are trying to sleep.
Limit your screen time in the evening and especially before bed. Set a timer for yourself about an hour before you’d like to sleep.
Charge your phone away from your bed to avoid temptation as well. Instead of turning to screens, choose reading or talking with family over television and social media scrolling right before you go to sleep.
If you are sleeping on the wrong mattress or pillow, this can also be affecting the quality of your sleep.
There are great pillows out there for all types of sleepers. If you’re just sleeping on a cheap, stock pillow, you might be waking up and tossing during the night because you can’t get comfortable. Consider your favorite sleep position while pillow shopping.
The same goes for your mattress and bedding. These surfaces might be making you too hot or too cold. They also might not be the right fit for how you sleep.
If you haven’t replaced any of your bedding, your pillow, or your mattress in a while, do yourself a favor and get shopping.
Quality sleep products are worth every penny if it means a more restful night's sleep.
If you are constantly waking up at night, there might be something in your bedroom that isn’t allowing you to stay asleep.
Bright lights, loud noises, the temperature, and even the air quality can affect how well you sleep. If your room is too bright, try room-darkening shades to keep distracting light out.
If the area outside your bedroom or home is too loud, consider getting a sound machine or downloading an app on your phone. This can help block out noises that are keeping you up at night and disrupting your sleep.
Sound machines may also help block out noisy sleeping partners as well. While you love your partner, you don’t have to love their snoring as well.
Check the temperature of your room as well. If you’re overheating, try using a fan and make sure your bedding is breathable. Choose cooling sheets, pillows, and mattresses that move heat away from your body.
Sleep is one of the most important parts of staying healthy both physically and mentally. Fortunately or unfortunately, as humans, we need good quality sleep.
If you’re always waking up at night, you’re probably at your wit's end. By making a few lifestyle changes, you may be able to greatly improve the quality of your sleep.
From what you are eating to what bedding you are using, making a few adjustments to your nightly routine and bedroom, can be beneficial to you mentally and physically.
Treat yourself and treat sleep as a high priority. If you’re ready for some upgraded, quality pillows, start shopping here to help you get a more quality and restorative night’s sleep.
Put down the triple shot of espresso and make some changes for the better instead.
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