You must have had difficult times where you are unable to sleep, counting the numbers of chandelier glass hanged to your roof, or the making some imaginary calculations. You see, at this time everything is a big deal as every sound can be disturbing. At the point of not being able to sleep, one question will keep coming to mind and that would be "Why Can't you Sleep?". In this post, let's look at that.
I can imagine that feeling of not being able to sleep, and then being worried, since we all know that sleep is a very important part of our well being. Similar to eating, and drinking, we need to sleep because it is a necessity and not a want. Proper sleeping allows for our body to rest and re-energize itself for the next day's activities and for children, it is important for growth and development. Both Young and Old, we need proper sleep so as to be able to help our body fight diseases and infections, as well as recover from injuries while improving our mental well being.
When people are unable to sleep properly, they are sleep deprived and this ca lead to them not functioning at optimum level when they are suppose to be awake. Also people who are sleep deprived can suffer physiological issues as well as neurological problems leading to conditions like stroke, as well as increased possibility of getting a heart attack.
While sleeping looks very simple, it isn't as simple as it looks it is as a result of several factors both internal and external, such as what we eat, sounds, and other things can affect our sleep but then it is important to know that although sleeping is good, having too much of it can be very bad.
Sleep loss can be caused by lots of things and one of them is Stress. You see, going to work, having a lot to do and then coming back home with the hope of defending another project the next day would mean losing sleep that night. Cases of having a big test the following day, or having an important flight to catch is another reason why you would not have a good sleep at night and it can lead to insomnia.
When we are stressed, our brain is doing a lot of things to try to keep us active so we can get through with them and so the inability to sleep. The brain will keep bringing events that worried the mind during the day when it is time to go to bed, making it difficult to sleep. In the evening, the body usually produce lower levels of cortisol but when there is a high level of cortisol in the body, then sleep can become impossible.
Sleeping too much during the day is another reason dor not being able to fall asleep at night. Naps longer than 30 minutes can induce sleep inertia and can lead to slower performance after waking but that’s not all as longer naps can affect the quality of sleep a person have at night, or even prevent sleepong ik general.
Taking caffeine drinks and coffee can also play a major role when not allowing someone sleep at night. Caffeine is a naturally occuring stimulant found in coffee bean, but then it can also be found in energy drinks, and caffeinated supplements. With caffeine, there is an increase in alertness, boost in physical and mental activities, and increased heart rate and breathing. Since caffeine has an half life of about 6 hours, it is advisable not to take it 12 hours before going to bed. Similar to caffeine, taking alcohol can also affect ones sleep, leading to poor sleep as it inhibits vasopressin causing the body to release water more often.
Viewing screens is another reason why ones sleep can be affected. The Blue Light from the screen can trick the brain to thinking that it is afternoon and can affect the circadian rhythm thereby causing inability to sleep.
If you are having difficulty sleeping for a very long time, it is advisable for you to see your doctor because it might be a medical condition, and it needs to be addressed by a doctor, so you do not diagnose yourself or treat yourself without the help of a doctor.
Reference
- https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/insomnia
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insomnia/
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/what-causes-insomnia
- https://www.healthline.com/health/sleeping-difficulty
- https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/tired-but-cant-sleep
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/top-4-reasons-why-youre-not-sleeping-through-the-night
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/how-is-sleep-quality-calculated
- https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/sleep-quality-socioeconomic-factors
- https://www.eightsleep.com/blog/6-factors-that-affect-your-sleep/
- https://www.bcm.edu/news/how-stress-can-affect-your-sleep
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22187-cortisol