The reasons can range from poor sleep habits to health problems. You may find you’ll sleep better if you keep your sleeping environment quiet, dark, and cool (about 68 degrees). Turn off your digital devices, including the TV, and wind down for at least one hour before going to bed. Consider keeping a notepad by your bedside and write down things you don’t want to forget. List the high-priority issues or important tasks you intend to tackle the next day before trying to fall asleep.
Medical issues can affect your ability to sleep too. Do you have any conditions such as anxiety, arthritis, back pain, depression, knee pain, or neck pain that keep you from falling asleep and staying asleep? Are you taking any drugs, such as antidepressants, that can interfere with your sleep? If so, ask your doctor about medical conditions or medications (prescription or over-the-counter) that may be interfering with enjoying a healthy night’s sleep.
You may find that your sleep will change based upon the sleep environment, your health status, your stress level, your age, and your medication profile. As you grow older and approach the 60s, you will no doubt notice that it takes longer to fall asleep and you may get up in the middle of the night and then take longer to fall back asleep. Sleep professionals call this sleep fragmentation. This is normal as we age but you should not be getting up more than once during the night and you should fall back to sleep within 15-20 minutes. If the change is too challenging, consult with your doctor about any medical conditions or with a therapist about any major life/work changes.
This is a common question you may ask, “Am I normal?” There is no formal cutoff between normal and abnormal sleep habits. Yet, good sleep habits (sometimes referred to as sleep hygiene) are key to sleeping well. Sleep hygiene are habits or behaviors necessary to not only sleep well but fully optimize your day by increasing alertness, maximizing focus, and increasing energy. A great tool to discover whether your sleep habits are working for you is to take the Sleep Hygiene Index and discuss the results with a trained sleep professional.
As you age, you will find that you have a harder time falling asleep and more trouble staying asleep. You still need 7-9 hours of sleep regardless of your age. Common sleep changes you may experience as you age include:
• Feeling tired and sleepy earlier in the evening
• Waking up earlier in the morning
• Waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep quickly (15-20 minutes)
• Wondering if any medications or changes in health status are interfering with your sleep
Absolutely. Menopause is a time of major hormonal, physical and psychological change for women although menopausal symptoms vary from woman to woman. These changes including hot flashes make it challenging to fall and stay asleep. You may also suffer from night sweats causing you to wake up throughout the night and even wake up long before your usual time.
It’s not just menopause but also many other life/work demands such as raising children while also caring for aging parents. Although these changes are normal, you should first seek help from your gynecologist, physician, nurse practitioner. You may also seek guidance from a trained sleep professional.
Falling asleep should occur in less than 15-20 minutes. It may take longer if you are a bit older (65 plus).
Most adults between the ages of 24 to 65 need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. The key is to feel alert and refreshed upon awakening, so you are not just “getting by” or barely “making it.”
Yes. In both good and bad ways. If you’re getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night (25-65 years of age), then you’re optimizing your health, relationships and performance by investing in enough sleep and quality sleep. On the other hand, if you’re getting less than 6 hours of sleep each night (25-65 years of age), then you’re at risk of depleting your health, straining your relationships, and deteriorating your performance. Don’t fool yourself by saying, “I can get by on 6 hours of sleep.” You may be able to “get by” but not without negative consequences to your health, relationships, and performance.
Absolutely. Watch out for consuming caffeine and alcohol too close to when you go to bed. Caffeine can reportedly take between 2 and 9 hours to leave your system entirely. Alcohol can disrupt the quality of your sleep by suppressing your breathing and lightening the stages of your sleep, which can lead to daytime fatigue. You should also be careful about drinking too much of any liquid before you wish to fall asleep if you want to avoid having to get up in middle of the night for a trip to the bathroom.
In adults, sleeping four hours a night, compared with 10 hours a night, appears to increase hunger and appetite—particularly for calorie-dense foods such as foods high in carbohydrates.
Is there really such a thing as beauty sleep?
Absolutely. One survey found that well-rested people reported having brighter eyes (42 percent), a brighter complexion (21 percent), clearer skin (20 percent), fewer wrinkles (17 percent), and improved skin condition (11 percent).
You betcha. Your skin will be less hydrated, less elastic, and scalier. This will really show up in the areas of your eyes, lips, and cheeks.
Definitely. Your smart phone, tablet, and other digital devices with screens emit blue light. Blue light can keep you up at night. To get a good night’s sleep, go dark and shut off your digital devices well before bedtime. Beyond the blue light, if you are stimulated by what you are doing, reading, or reacting to while using your smart phone or device, then this state of hyper-arousal may also keep you up.
Don’t get worked up if you do not sleep well the first night in a strange bed and/or a strange place. We are hardwired not to sleep well in “strange places.” This is a human’s protective mechanism at work. The best approach is to try and stick to your usual bedtime, wake up time, and eating and drinking schedule.
Jet lag is normal when you fly from east to west or west to east. Why? You’re crossing time zones. It takes about one day per time zone crossed to feel normal again. So... if you fly from New York to LA (3 hours), then it could take up to 3 days before the effects of jet lag wear off.
Pretty common. One in three adults will experience a sleep problem at some time in their life. Almost 10% of the population suffers from a chronic sleep problem. In addition, one in four Americans develops insomnia every year. The good news is that 75 percent of those with insomnia will recover.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI-I) is a structured program for treating insomnia. Unlike sleeping pills, CBT-I helps you overcome the underlying causes of your sleep problems. Treatment is scientifically proven and typically lasts 4-8 weeks.
Like breathing, sleep is not optional. According to an article in the Scientific American, Dr. Gillin, a psychiatrist, says 11 days or 264 hours is the longest you can go without any sleep. This is not a record you want to beat. Don’t even attempt to stay up longer than 18 hours because your performance will suffer, and your safety and the safety of others may be in danger. Drowsy driving can cripple or even kill.
Scientists don’t really know for sure. Research suggests that sleep is essential for recovery, healing, processing, and strengthening.
The only way to know for sure is to take the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Short of taking this assessment and having it interpreted by a trained sleep professional, you probably have a sense of being an early riser or someone who feels more productive at night.
Or you may be a “third bird.” You may not be an early riser or a night owl but in between the two. Studies suggest that your chronotype is largely genetically determined. Researchers also suggest that night owls are at a disadvantage in school and most work settings because of the early start time (often before 9am).