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If you don’t enter Dreamland within 20 minutes of your head touching the pillow, you may be dealing with insomnia. These data were provided by experts National Sleep Foundation. But what’s to blame?
1. Use of gadgets
Scientific experiments have shown that using an e‑reader, tablet or smartphone before bed and even watching TV in bed can make it difficult to fall asleep. “The blue light emitted by electronic devices impairs the production of the sleep hormone melatonin,” says Robert Rosenberg, author of Sleep Soundly Every Night, Feel Fantastic Every Day, “If you want to get a good night’s sleep, put your gadgets away at least an hour before bed.”
On a note!
For those who cannot give up electronic devices before going to bed, experts Mayo Clinic It is recommended to keep gadgets no closer than 14 inches from the face, and reduce the brightness of the screen.
2. Intense workouts
You’ve probably heard that exercise helps you fall asleep faster. And this is true, but only if we are talking about regular sports.
Prolonged or very intense exercise before bed makes it difficult to fall asleep. So if you find yourself tossing and turning from side to side after kickboxing at 10 pm, move them to the morning. Perhaps this is what will give you bright colored dreams!
3. Correspondence with friends
Polls National Sleep Foundation showed that about 10% of children aged 13 to 18 wake up every night or almost every night, receiving an e‑mail or phone message from acquaintances. And among the respondents aged 19–29 there are already 20% of them!
To get a good quality rest, experts advise leaving the phone in another room or turning it off before going to bed.
4. A cup of coffee on the table
A cup of coffee contains 80 to 120 mg of caffeine, which stimulates the brain and makes us more active. However, many people can’t stop drinking their favorite drink at dinner, which makes it difficult to fall asleep for several hours afterwards.
“Surprisingly, for some people, even drinking coffee during lunch can cause insomnia,” says Michael Gradner, PhD, Member of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania. “The fact is that caffeine is excreted from the body within 12 hours.”
By the way!
The study, the results of which were shared by the publication Consumer Reports, found that decaffeinated coffee may also contribute to sleep disturbances. Experts tested several samples of decaffeinated coffee and found up to 20 mg of the active ingredient in some of them!
5. Chocolate for dessert
In addition to the obvious sources of caffeine that everyone hears about, there are also “hidden” ones. One of them is dark chocolate with a high cocoa content. In people sensitive to caffeine, it provokes the development of insomnia.
Contributes to this and the substance theobromine, which abounds in chocolate. According to research, it stimulates an increase in heart rate, which makes it harder to fall asleep.
6. Fears of not being able to do something
Many people report that unbidden thoughts keep them awake. Often they arise because during the day a person quickly replaces one activity with another, not allowing himself to relax and unwind. And when, finally, he finds himself in bed, his impressions “catch up” with him.
To prevent this from happening again, experts advise putting off anything that makes you think, impresses, or excites you an hour before bedtime. Instead, focus on pleasant things that bring peace and relaxation.
7. Checking work mail
In one curious study of specialists Michigan State University, people who used their smartphone to check email after 9 p.m. were more tired and distracted than usual the next morning. Reason to think, right?
By the way!
Did you know that poor sleep positions can cause wrinkles? Researchers have found that sleeping on your stomach and on your side puts perceptible pressure on your facial muscles and leads to collagen breakdown.
8. Spicy and fatty foods
It’s no secret that dinner should be light, but at the same time satisfying. Heavy meals stress the digestive organs, which can contribute to insomnia. But fatty and spicy foods are especially dangerous because they can lead to acid reflux.
“Ideally, you should have dinner 2 hours before bed to give your body enough time to digest food,” says Dr Gradner. “But if you are used to eating right before bed, stick to foods that “cast dreams” — simple carbohydrates or dairy products.”
9. Alcohol before bed
Hot drinks make a person sleepy, which makes him think that he can fall asleep sooner. But as soon as he falls into the “embrace of Morpheus” and the body begins to absorb alcohol, sleep becomes restless, heavy, interrupted.
In addition, alcoholic beverages have a diuretic effect, which can make a person run to the toilet all night.
10. Smoking
For most smokers, a cigarette before bed is a proven way to “relax”. And only a few people know that nicotine has a stimulating effect, activating the brain, which can provoke the development of insomnia.
On the other hand, quitting smoking before bed can cause habit slaves to wake up earlier to smoke. There is only one way out of this vicious circle — to say goodbye to the habit in order to gain health.
By the way!
Sleeping in socks helps achieve orgasm. Such unexpected conclusions were received by experts University of Groningen, by doing the appropriate research. And all because socks create a feeling of comfort and “calm” the areas of the brain responsible for anxiety and fear.
11. Medication
For those who have to take daily medication to relieve health problems, when changing the drug, it is imperative to clarify when it is best to take therapy. “Some drugs can keep you awake for several hours after taking them. Antidepressants are an example. But there is also the opposite situation, when drugs “cause dreams.” Some pills for normalizing blood pressure were noticed in this, ”says Dr. Grandner.
12. Fun games
It can be a game installed on a smartphone or even a board game that requires ingenuity and passion. In any case, such entertainment excites the brain, after which it cannot return to normal for a long time, which contributes to the appearance of insomnia.
13. Greenhouse conditions at home
Those who have autonomous heating at home can only be congratulated: they will definitely not freeze on these dank gray days. However, an increase in air temperature to greenhouse conditions can play a cruel joke on the body.
“Everyone’s preferences are different, but studies show that most people sleep better when the house is between 15.5 and 21 degrees Celsius,” says Dr Grandner. And studies show that before going to bed, our body lowers the temperature for better falling asleep and pleasant dreams. Nature has thought of everything!
By the way!
Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain. The fact is that lack of sleep contributes to the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin and inhibits the timely synthesis of the satiety hormone leptin.
14. Pets
It is very pleasant to sleep with your nose buried in the crown of your beloved pet or feeling his even, calm breathing nearby. However, research by experts University of Kansas showed that 63% of people who share their bed with their furry friend do not sleep well. And not only the activities of playful pets are to blame for this. For example, pet hair can cause breathing difficulties and contribute to allergies.
15. Cool shower
A warm bubble bath helps many people relax, especially when used in the preparation of sleep-inducing essential oils. But a cool shower or contrast procedures, on the contrary, make you wake up. Therefore, it is better to transfer them to the morning. And it will definitely become cheerful and kind!
On a note!
Research published in the journal neurology, in 2017 showed that sleeping too long is bad for health. People who sleep more than 9 hours each night are twice as likely to develop dementia.