Sleep Problems To Look Out For

Sleep is one of the most important things that we need; aside from food and water, it's probably what our bodies need the most.

16:31 04 January 2019

But, that doesn't mean that there aren't things that get in the way from getting a good night's sleep.

But what exactly is it that we need to look out for when we want to get a good night's sleep?

Health Problems

This probably isn't the most obvious, and hopefully the one that will affect you the least. Having said that, though, there are a lot of different health problems that can actually affect your sleep schedule, both minor and major. Even something as simple as a cough can end up making havoc out of your schedule.

Once your sleep schedule is messed up, even that nagging cough can end up getting a lot worse, as a lack of sleep just makes you more irritable and possibly even sicker. That's why it's essential that, no matter what the ailment is, you end up getting it treated as soon as you can, before your sleep just gets worse and worse.

Old/Bad Mattress

This is definitely the most obvious thing that can get in the way of a good night's sleep. But, that doesn't mean that you have to put up with it. The perfect mattress, be it even something as simple as a memory foam mattress or a single size mattress, could end up completely changing your sleep schedule for the better.

Duvets and pillows can also have a serious impact on how well you sleep, with pillows that are too hard or too soft, as well as a host of other things, meaning that it can take longer than necessary in order to fall asleep and get some quality sleep.

That being said, many people prefer certain kinds of mattresses, pillows etc, so it's worth doing your research when it comes to buying a new mattress or bed.

Erratic Schedules

Having an erratic schedule in your daily life is bound to have an effect on your sleep schedule because they're intrinsically tied to each other. Throughout the day, our body sends us signals in order to start relaxing our body and eventually sends us off to sleep.

However, if you end up ignoring these signs, you'll end up negatively affecting your sleep schedule. That's why it's extremely important to listen to your body during the day, especially as it gets later in the day. For example, our bodies are naturally tuned to light so that when the sun goes down, our body starts to release chemicals in order to start relaxing us enough for sleep.

Obviously, this may no be so simple for people who work night shifts on a regular basis, but the importance of going to bed at roughly the same time every day or night is still important, regardless of what time it is you're actually going to sleep.

Environmental Issues

This takes up a whole host of different, smaller, issues, but they're certainly worth mentioning anyway. While a part of this can be down to your mattress - as well as your duvets etc - as we've already mentioned, a lot of it's down to the likes of phones and tablets.

As we've briefly mentioned before, our bodies react according to light levels, which means that staying in front of a computer, tablet or phone may trick your brain into staying awake longer, which can end up having a massive impact on your sleep schedule.

According to some studies, this is down to a few key things, with one of them being that they keep your brain active for later in the evening, preventing it from relaxing enough for sleep. While they may seem harmless when you're actually using them, your brain needs time to unwind just as much as your body does, so giving it a break from the likes of social media or whatever else you're checking up on is definitely needed.

There's also the fact that they can be among one of the most common reasons we way up - i.e, because of a phone call or a text message, etc. Your body knows exactly how much sleep it needs, so sleeping for as long as it needs to sleep, you'd be better off listening to your body.

Being very tired every morning just means that you're not getting enough sleep; even though it's a bit of a cliche at this point, getting a full eight hours is definitely a necessity.

If you're able to get rid of all of these issues - or at least the vast majority of them - then you should be able to get your sleep schedule back to where it should be. Sometimes it can be even down to one small issue, but even the smallest issue can have the biggest impact in the long run.