Understanding Sleeplessness – Tips for a Peaceful Night’s Sleep.
Sleeplessness is a general term for difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or being awake for long periods at night unable to get back to sleep. It can affect both men and women, young and old, and can result in tiredness, reduced focus or irritability during the day.
Sleeplessness is often used interchangeably with insomnia, but they are not exactly the same. Insomnia is a sleeping disorder. It refers to persistent sleep difficulties that happen at least a few nights per week for several months. It can affect your mood, energy levels and daily functioning. Sleeplessness is the general term for not getting enough sleep and often needs a change of habits or further examination to the cause.
For a discussion with a doctor at the North Dandenong Clinic, please book an appointment.
Why Am I Still Tired (Even after 8 Hours Sleep)?
Stress and Anxiety
- We all have stress in our lives whether it be work pressures or family responsibilities. Financial worries can also keep the mind active at night.
- Emotional stress can often lead to a whirlwind of thoughts making falling asleep difficult. If you wake up at the 3am time slot, often these thoughts return to the forefront of your mind, and can make falling into a deep sleep seem impossible.
Lifestyle and Habits
- Irregular sleep schedules or frequently changing bedtime routines can confuse the body’s internal clock. Shift workers often suffer from these challenges.
- Late-night caffeine, alcohol, sugary foods, or heavy meals may interfere with the ability to fall asleep. For example, meals with red meat take longer to digest and extra energy is required by the body to process it, making it difficult to relax and fall into a deep sleep.
- Excessive screen time before bed exposes the eyes to blue light, which may suppress production of melatonin (our body’s natural sleep hormone).
Medical Conditions and Medications
- Pain, respiratory issues, hormonal changes or gastrointestinal problems can disturb sleep.
- Sleep apnoea (where a person stops and starts breathing during sleep) can prevent deep restorative sleep. Snoring can often be linked in these circumstances.
Environmental Factors
- Noise, light or an uncomfortable sleep environment can make it hard to relax.
- Travelling, or being on a long-haul flight and time zones can impact sleep significantly.
- Frequent interruptions from children, pets or shift work can prevent a good night’s sleep.
For a discussion with a doctor at the North Dandenong Clinic, please book an appointment .
Daily Habits and Lifestyle Changes
There are many tips to keep in mind to improve your night’s sleep:
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule and avoid late-night caffeine or heavy meals to promote restful sleep.
- Music can play an important role in calming your mind before you go to sleep. Calming podcasts with music or voiceovers can often help.
- A gentle stretch before getting into bed can assist sleep quality. There are free yoga options available online.
- Natural sleep remedies are becoming increasingly popular in Australia. These include aromatherapy oils for sleep or essential oils to promote sleep; eg essence of lavender. These can be used in candles or drops on your pillow.
- Drinking a small glass of cherry juice before bedtime may help, as it contains melatonin naturally.
- Melatonin capsules can be bought over the counter in Australia or can be prescribed by the doctor. They mimic the natural melatonin that your body produces to regulate your sleep-wake cycle. It’s a good idea to discuss this option with the doctor before you take this step.
The Doctors at North Dandenong Clinic can Help You
A good night’s sleep is so important for your physical, mental and emotional health. If you are experiencing sleeplessness, and would like to discuss some of these tips above or other options available, make a booking today with one of the doctors.
