What’s keeping you up at Night? It’s not what you think…

We’ve all been there: staring hopelessly into the glare of a menacing alarm clock, which soon will sound its screeching ring and mark the start of yet another day we have to somehow make it through, tired, cranky, and unproductive.

Unfortunately, so many of us have accepted this alternative to a restful night’s sleep as the norm – the inevitable byproduct of leading a busy, stressful adult life. Worse, we often turn to harmful medications as desperate solutions to a bit of nightly shut-eye.

This is hugely problematic. Prescription sleeping aids have an innumerable number of side effects because they pollute our bodies with ingredients, which alter our brain chemistry and result in drowsiness, irritability, and potentially far more harmful side effects. Worse, as the body becomes accustomed to such medication, it develops a tolerance and a physical dependency, making naturally induced sleep much more difficult in the long run.

Of course, as we all know, counting sheep rarely does the trick. So what gives? What are we supposed to do?

First of all, before addressing the solution to sleeplessness, it is important to take into consideration its root causes. Dr. Binyamin Rothstein points to two categories of sleep-disrupting factors: internal and external.

Internal Factors

These are all of the sleep disturbances that are rooted in your own body. While some require intensive treatment, others are easily treatable.

Consider the following:

Pain:

Chronic pain is one of the primary reasons keeping people for getting to sleep at night. It makes sense. How could anyone enter the sort of state of relaxation necessary for sleep with a throbbing ache or a shooting pain? One simple, safe and inexpensive way to ease muscle cramps is to take magnesium citrate, 200-500 mg at bedtime. If that doesn’t work then you may need a more personalized treatment plan and exercise.

Hormonal problems:

Women – menopause is a key culprit here. A decreased level of estrogen and progesterone at the onset of menopause often results in elevated levels of pain in the body and those wonderful hot flashes. There is a simple fix here: Bio-identical hormonal replacement supplements. This holistic approach can reduce the disturbing hot flashes while making your body healthier and stronger.You can get progesterone cream over the counter, take as directed, it takes only a few days to feel the difference.

Hunger:

This is a common one. Nutrition specialists often recommend going to sleep on an empty stomach, so that the body can enter a state of rest without worrying about having food to digest. But who can sleep with hunger pangs, and the loud growls of a grumbling belly? We’re not recommending a 5-course dinner – the key here is dairy. Dairy products contain tryptophan, a precursor metabolite for the melatonin hormone, which is essential for relaxation sleep. So, the next time you feel a little stomach grumbling before bed, grab a warm glass of milk, or a modest portion of yogurt. Another surprising food to help sleep is the potato.  It should be with the skin and it is best when baked and worst when fried.

Worry:

We have all had those times when we were worried about….whatever.  The best and simplest way to deal with the worry is to write it down, the old fashioned way, pencil (or pen) and paper.  Take a few minutes and you will find that “forgetting things on paper” will put your mind at ease.

External factors

Here we are talking about the external environment. Like internal factors, some of these elements may be more within your control than others. Regardless, it is important to consider the influence outside factors may have on your sleep, so that you can work on catching those Z’s.

Caffeine:

Every wonder why coffee is the first thing you reach for when you wake up in the morning? It’s because you are EXHAUSTED! Had you gotten a restful night’s sleep, maybe you wouldn’t need that morning cup of Joe to get yourself going.  Caffeine is one of the biggest culprits in sleep disruption, and often because its power is underestimated. That cup of coffee or tea you drank continues to affect you long after the initial jolt wears off. You may be thinking that you are different because you can still fall asleep even right after drinking that evening cup of Joe.  The problem is that even though you can fall asleep, the sleep is not restorative, hence the need for that cup of fresh brew first thing in the morning.  Dr. Rothstein advises cutting off daily caffeinated tea consumption at 4:00 PM. As far as coffee, he suggests calling it quits no later than 2:00 PM.

Why, you ask? Because caffeinated beverages increase cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone. Stress means no sleep.

Alcohol:

This is a complicated one. Like most drugs, alcohol affects each person differently. For some, a glass of wine helps to both fall and stay asleep. For others however, alcohol disrupts the REM cycle, the deepest stage of sleep and the result is that you feel tired when you wake up in the morning.

Do you drink before bed? Try that white Russian without the liquor and see what happens.

Noise:

This is an easy one. Plug up those ears with some cheap store bought noise-suppressants. Don’t worry, you’ll still hear your obnoxious alarm clock.  Alternatively you can get a fan for the white noise effect, it will blot out those disturbing nocturnal sounds.

Temperature:

Okay – the warm and fuzzy thing – that’s a classic misconception. While warm temperatures certainly make us feel sluggish and lazy, they are certainly not conducive to a restful night’s sleep. Go to bed with a blasting heater, and you will wake up feeling groggy and tired. The recommended temperature for the ultimate sleep is actually a crisp 65 degrees or lower.

Chances are your thermostat is cranked up a bit too high.

This list represents a small faction of factors that may be influencing your sleep. The list is much longer, and includes exercise (getting enough of it), and avoiding electronics before bed. The take-home message here is this: before swallowing harmful pills, consider more holistic approaches to sleep-regulation.

So take a moment to reflect, examine your tendencies, and maybe, just maybe, put down that Grande-mocha-tripe-shot whatever.