from the publishers of: Verywell, Real Simple, EatingWell, Shape, Parents, Health and Allrecipes
Too little sleep—whether from an inability to fall asleep, stay asleep or get into deep sleep—puts a damper on your productivity and energy. Having trouble pinpointing the cause? Consider these factors that might be standing in the way of your shut-eye.
Dark chocolate offers cardiovascular health benefits, but it can also keep you up at night, as it contains the caffeine equivalent of a cup of tea. Additionally, chocolate is derived from cacao plants, which contain the chemical theobromine—associated with increased heart rate and alertness.
The solution? Enjoy your dark chocolate as a midafternoon snack rather than dessert. If you do consume it at night, avoid pairing it with a caffeinated beverage.
Unfortunately, afternoon naps can hurt your overall sleep. Napping can disrupt your body’s natural clock and prevent you from going to sleep that night. In addition, brief daytime sleep often doesn’t compare to higher-quality deep sleep at night.
Sleep experts recommend napping only if you feel more fatigued or sleepy than normal, or if you have a daily nap habit. When you do nap, keep it short (around 30 minutes), and take it in early- to midafternoon.
Staying hydrated is important, but water intake during the day could be waking you up at night. Heading to the bathroom more than once per night may be disrupting your overall sleep quality.
If this is a problem, try keeping most of your water and fluid intake to the first half of the day. Some fluids in the late afternoon and evening are fine, but not so much that a full bladder wakes you up.
While wine may help you go to sleep, the problem comes a few hours later when alcohol acts as a stimulant, causing you to have restless, poor-quality sleep.
The best sleep appears to come with no consumption of alcohol, but if you do partake, limit it to moderate amounts (one or two drinks) a couple hours before bedtime.
Did you know that watching the clock can actually make the situation worse by increasing your stress, frustration and anxiety, only perpetuating the lack-of-sleep cycle?
If you can’t go to sleep after 20 minutes, experts recommend that you get up and do a light activity like reading a book in a dimly lit room. You’ll likely feel sleepy and ready for bed sooner rather than later.
Fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone can disrupt sleep for both young women (at certain times of the month) and for older women in early menopause.
If hormones affect your sleep, try to establish a consistent schedule that incorporates physical activity. Other tips include keeping the bedroom cool and establishing a regular bedtime routine.
Foods high in protein and saturated fat—such as red meat—take longer to digest, and research has associated these high-fat foods with a decrease in quality of sleep and an increase in the amount of time you spend awake in bed.
To avoid this, choose leaner cuts and smaller portions, or swap the steak for salmon (which contains vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, two nutrients required for proper sleep regulation).
Enjoying a sweet treat can seem like the perfect way to end the day, but high-sugar foods before bed can cause your blood sugar to spike and the pancreas to oversecrete insulin. The effect can be low blood glucose levels and hunger pangs that can wake you up later in the night.
Instead, have dessert three to four hours before heading to bed, choose a snack that’s low in sugar with a little fiber, or skip the sweets altogether.
Eating a big meal of rich or spicy foods can set you up for a restless night, particularly if you’re prone to heartburn. Fat slows the entire digestion process, so those foods sit in the stomach longer (not good when you’re horizontal).
Avoid eating spicy and higher-fat foods like pizza within three hours of bedtime. If it’s unavoidable, try to consume smaller portions and elevate your head slightly when going to sleep.
Skipping your workout, or even cutting its intensity or duration significantly, affects sleep. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation found that those who don’t get regular physical activity have significantly lower quantity and quality of sleep than those who do exercise regularly.
Establish a regular activity pattern and stick with it. Try to exercise earlier in the day or at least three hours before bedtime.
