Most people wake up once or twice during the night. But when you can’t go back to sleep, it’s essential to figure out the cause to treat the problem and get some rest. Here are the lifestyle factors, general health conditions, and sleep disorders causing you to wake up throughout the night and how you can help yourself sleep better tonight!
Lifestyle factors
You may be making your sleep worse without even knowing it. Some factors that can harm your sleep include the following:
- The lights from mobile phones or computers, especially in the hour before you try to sleep
- Having electronic devices in the bedroom
- Alcohol, which prevents you from reaching deep sleep and REM sleep
- Caffeine intake, even six hours before bedtime, reduces sleep time by as much as one hour
- Drinking too much liquid, which causes frequent urination at night
- Too warm or poorly ventilated rooms
- A noisy environment
General health conditions
Some general health conditions that might be affecting your ability to stay asleep include:
- Stress and anxiety
- Depression
- Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea
- Obesity
- Alcohol consumption and smoking
- Digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux
Sleep disorders
You may have a problem with your sleep itself, such as:
- Sleep maintenance insomnia, which occurs when you can fall asleep but can’t stay asleep
- Restless leg syndrome, which is an irresistible desire to move your legs, usually felt in the evening and night
- Night terrors, which are episodes of extreme fright and panic
- Sleep apnea, which is characterized by the body failing to breathe at regular intervals throughout the night
What you can do for better sleep
Light, pets, or your bedroom’s temperature can make it difficult to stay asleep. Here are some tips to improve your sleeping environment for proper rest:
- Block light with dark shades on the windows or by wearing an eye mask
- Use earplugs, a fan, or a white noise machine
- Keep the temperature between 60 and 70 degrees
- Remove disruptive pets from the room
Some general sleep hygiene practices to help you get more rest include:
- Don’t use tobacco
- Stay away from caffeine and alcohol later in the day
- Go outside for at least 15 minutes each day to set your internal clock
- Get regular exercise at least five hours before bed
- Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day
- Avoid napping later in the day
- Avoid naps lasting more than half an hour
- Follow a relaxing bedtime routine
- Don’t use devices that have screens in the hour before bed
- If you can’t get back to sleep after 15 or 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something calming until you feel drowsy again
Texas ENT Specialists is here to help you sleep better
We offer patients throughout the Houston area comprehensive care for all their ENT concerns, achieving long-term relief from the symptoms impacting their lives. Because of the vast physician network we have established, our Houston-area ENT doctors can work with you every step of the way, from evaluation to diagnosis and treatment. We treat patients of all ages with various concerns, so contact one of our offices today!
