“To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there’s the rub.” While, unlike Hamlet, we’re not waxing eloquently about the possibility of an afterlife, we are waxing eloquently about our sleep. Sleep is important–for life, for energy, for focus, and for overall enjoyment. It seems, however, that we can’t get the kind of rest we need. Ay, there’s the rub.
If you, like most of us, wish you got better rest at night, you might need to do some digging. There are quite a few causes of poor sleep cycles, and you may not know immediately which one is disturbing your rest. To check out a list of some of the most common, look below! The cause of your restlessness may very well be one of these.
Bedding
Most of us buy sheets based on price or color. We buy a comforter for similar reasons, and we grab a pillow that seems to be the right thickness and density. We don’t, however, choose our bedding as carefully as we should–if we want to get a good night’s rest. Our bedding can actually play a huge role in our nightly comfort, especially our pillow, according to a johns hopkins sleep study. If you think your bedding could do with a makeover, upgrade and see if your rest improves.
Stress
Stress can disrupt your sleep. If you’re having trouble fading to sweet dreams, stress could be the cause. The cure for stress is to–well–destress. Easier said than done, isn’t it? If you need to cut back on your daily stress, consider some of these tips. Try meditating, or going for a quiet walk without your phone. Journal or color before going to bed. Try to eliminate some of the stress sources in your life: you could probably live without some things that are driving you crazy. If work stress has got your kettle boiling, go on vacation. A high-stress vacation won’t do you much good, but checking out Sylvan Lake homes for sale (and finding a quiet retreat all your own) should.
Blue Light
You have a tiny enemy bent on disrupting your sleep, and it follows you around all day. It lurks in your laptop, desktop, television, and phone. We’re referring, of course, to blue light–which studies have shown disturbs our rest. The solution to blue light’s interference isn’t to become a hermit, but you might want to cut back on blue light before going to bed, or purchase blue light glasses to block it. Hang out with friends, read a book, or go outside before going to bed instead. Not only are these good ways to destress, the elimination of blue light could make a huge difference in your quality of sleep.
Sleep can make us healthier. If we’re consistently missing out on proper rest, it can take a toll on our bodies, and, if nothing else, diminish our enjoyment of the day. To be your most fulfilled you, start taking steps towards getting better rest. Try out each of these three suggestions, or find some of your own. The answer to your imperfect rest is out there, and once solved, you can stop worrying and go back to sleep.
