Problems Associated With a Lack of Sleep

• Increased irritability
• Trouble concentrating
• Inability to multitask
• Difficulty performing cognitive tasks
• Leads to automotive accidents
• Problems with interpersonal relationships
• Potential exacerbation of emotional symptoms such as anxiety and stress
• Apathy
• Lack of energy
• Loss of pleasure or general enjoyment of life

Causes of Sleep Problems

Physical health problems/pain – Having health problems that cause pain such as arthritis or back problems can keep people from getting a good night’s sleep.

Mental health problems – Depression, anxiety, manic depressive episodes and other mental health problems can make it difficult to get enough sleep or sometimes may cause the sufferer to get too much sleep which is also unhealthy and disruptive. It’s possible for depressed people to suffer from both sleeplessness and/or getting too much sleep.

Sleep disorders – There are a wide variety of sleep disorders that can result in poor quality sleep, but some of the more common ones include sleep apnea, chronic insomnia, restless leg syndrome and sleep walking.

Medication, vitamins, herbal supplements – It’s quite possible that the medications you’re taking are impacting your ability to sleep.

Stress – In the US, stress is a big issue related to sleep problems, people with a lot of stress have a hard time falling asleep and getting enough restorative sleep. Unfortunately this can become an increasingly harmful spiral as less sleep leads to more stress and then even less sleep.

Night sweats – With menopausal women, night sweats can definitely make it difficult to get a restful night’s sleep.

Poor sleep habits – A lot of people simply don’t understand what it takes to get a good night’s sleep. Poor sleep habits can include irregular sleep hours, too much stimulation late at night, not having a regular night time routine, and other bad habits that don’t promote good healthy sleep habits.

Lack of exercise – Ideally, you should do a little exercise or activity outside every day. Not only does the exercise help your body function optimally, but your body needs the sunshine to ward of stress, depression and poor mental health. Plus, exercise also helps to limit your risk of other potential health problems.

Poor diet – Too much sugar, too much fat, or big heavy meals close to bedtime can all make getting a good night’s sleep difficult.

Caffeine – Some people react much more dramatically to caffeine consumption than other people, but ideally you shouldn’t consume any caffeinated drinks for 5 hours before bedtime. This may seem like a long time, but it takes this long for your body to process the caffeine.

Smoking – Nicotine is a stimulant that makes it harder to fall asleep, so smokers may have more difficulty getting a restive night’s sleep. Plus, smoking contributes to breathing problems which also make sleeping more difficult.

Alcohol consumption – Although drinking alcohol may initially seem to relax you and help you fall asleep fast, this initial effect may wear off in an hour or two and actually lead to disruptive sleep.

How to Get More Sleep

Set regular sleep hours. As far as I’m concerned, this is the single best thing you can do to improve the quality of your sleep, unfortunately this recommendation also often falls on deaf ears. You need to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. It’s confusing for your mind and body when you go to sleep one night at midnight and then the next night you try to go to sleep at 10pm. It’s no wonder you can’t fall asleep, your body is getting mixed signal.

Set up a bedtime routine. It’s best to avoid activities like chores, video games, TV or exercise close to bedtime, instead choose more relaxing activates such as reading, meditating, or a warm bath. Having a set routine “programs” your mind and body to get into the relax and sleep mode, making it easier to fall asleep.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol and large meals close to bed time. As mentioned, all of these things adversely affect getting a good night’s sleep.

Stop smoking close to bedtime. Ideally smokers should quit smoking entirely, but at the very least they should limit smoking at night and avoid smoking if they wake up in the middle of the night.
Don’t drink a lot of fluids close to bedtime. This cuts down on frequent bathroom runs.

Don’t turn on the lights when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, use nightlights or a flashlight. This keeps your eyes from absorbing all that extra light and makes it easier to fall back asleep.

Make your bedroom a calm, comfortable relaxing environment. If your bedroom is full of clutter, or dirty laundry, this can unknowingly create an unwelcoming stressful environment not conducive to relaxing.

Research your medications, vitamins and herbal supplements. Discuss with your doctor the possibility that your medications are interfering with your sleep and look at possible alternative treatments or perhaps try to take them earlier if your doctor approves this course of action.

Well, a healthy lifestyle is the most obvious choice. Eat more natural foods with high fiber. Choose fruits and vegetables with lots of variety in color to get all your different vitamins and mineral. Take a multivitamin and calcium to supplement your diet if needed.

Quit smoking. Enough said.

Reduce caffeine intake. Caffeine has been linked to hot flashes and makes getting to sleep more difficult.

Limit alcohol use.

Do regular weight bearing exercises such as weight lifting, walking, aerobics, and dancing. Weight bearing exercise just means that you’re on your feet and your bones are supporting your weight, so activities like biking and swimming aren’t included. Make sure to choose an activity you like and mix it up a bit so you don’t get bored. A work out partner not only gives you motivation but will increase you odds of staying with a work out program. 

Try Soy Foods. Soy is high in phytoestrogens which is a plant chemical that acts like estrogen which is produced naturally in the body.  “These plant estrogens are thousands of times weaker than natural estrogen,” says nutritionist Mindy Kurzer of the University of Minnesota. “But they also circulate in the blood at levels thousands of times higher than natural estrogen.” That’s why researchers want to know if plant estrogens work like natural estrogen. Limited studies have produced limited evidence that soy is a good remedy but soy would have virtually no side effects and it’s generally good for you overall. 

Herbs that might help include black cohosh, dong quai, St. John’s Wort, ginseng, and evening primrose oil, red clover and chasteberry. These herbal remedies have little clinical proof that they help with the signs of menopause, but many women still use them.

As with all medical treatments, you should discuss your options with a doctor. If you choose to take a homeopathic route, make sure to discuss your plans with your doctor as herbal medicines can interact with prescription medications and be harmful if taken at inappropriate levels.