Many of us are struggling to fall asleep at some point in our lives. In longer term, this can impact your overall well-being and productivity. However, the first step in achieving a better sleep is to understand what is causing this issue. Read through our article to identify several factors which can impact your ability to fall asleep, and tips to improve your sleep quality.
1. Caffeine
Studies suggest that caffeine can disrupt your sleep if you take it less than 6 hours before sleep (1)(2). Even though caffeine might be part of your routine for a long period of time, and you just began having sleep issues recently, it is important to note that our bodies go through continuous change. Hence, it can be a new body response towards a problem which did not cause any issues earlier. If you suspect caffeine can be affecting your sleep, the following tips are for you:
- Do not drink coffee 6 hours before bedtime. If you are craving coffee, opt for a decaffeinated one.
- Avoid energy drinks.
- If you are not sure which products you consume have caffeine, is best to check the ingredients list. Even soft drinks and sweet snacks can contain caffeine.
2. Electronic devices
There is evidence that the use of electronic devices at bedtime can delay sleep onset (3)(4). In particular, smartphones, tablets, and computers are known to cause the issue, mainly because we keep them close in front of us. Their screens emit blue light, which can reduce the production of melatonin and decrease sleepiness (4). If you are using electronic devices at night, try following our tips:
- Limit the use of electronic devices before sleep, you can switch on “Do Not Disturb” mode to avoid receiving distracting notifications.
- Most smartphones, tablets, and computers, have available the “Night Shift” feature, which reduces the blue light emissions and adjusts the brightness. Try setting on this feature in the evening and when using the device in darkness.
- Invest in a par of blue light blocking glasses, it will also protect your eyes from damage and provide more relaxation.
3. Overthinking
Overthinking consumes a lot of our time and energy, and can cause anxiety (5). Several studies highlighted the relationship between anxiety and sleep disorder (6). However, it is important to consider that problems don’t get solved by thinking about them over and over again. If you are overthinking at night, try following our tips:
- Take control over your thoughts, don’t let your brain keep you thinking about problems. Instead, when you get an intrusive thought, try thinking about something positive or engage in a relaxing activity.
- Establish a bedtime routine. You can take a relaxing bath with essential oils and praise yourself for your achievements that day.
- If you notice that your brain keeps sending you thoughts while you try to sleep, start counting backwards from 100 and imagine each number.
4. Reading the news
Nowadays, the majority of news articles are mostly negative (eg: war, crime, incidents, global issues). However, watching the news can raise stress levels, cause negative thinking and anxiety, and keep us awake during the night (7). Therefore, it is important to consider our following tips:
- Try to notice how your mood changes after reading the news, if you get a high emotional impact, is best to completely avoid reading negative news.
- If you still want to be up to date with latest news, try limit your news consumption to only once a day (not in the evening).
- If you have anxiety after reading the news, consider that this is only in your head, you are not in danger, just be grateful and happy.
Takeaway
Having trouble to fall asleep in longer term can cause serious mental health issues and disrupt your daily activities. Therefore is really important to identify what is causing the issue and get the necessary amount of sleep. Follow our tips and let us know if it worked for you!
