Struggling to get the sleep you need? Is it having a negative impact on work, your friendships and life in general?
Lack of sleep can lead to a whole host of problems. So you need to find the cause before it gets the better of you. To help you get to the bottom of the sleep deprivation mystery we’ve listed 4 common causes below.
Could one of them be the reason you’re not sleeping?
Caffeine
Many of us rely on a hot cup of Joe to get our day started. We wake from our slumber; manage to persuade ourselves to put a leg out from underneath the covers, and eventually the thought of coffee drags us from pillow to kitchen.
And some of us continue to drink it well into the afternoon. It’s our fuel!
Unfortunately, I’ve got some bad news. Caffeine doesn’t give you more energy. It simply blocks our ‘adenosine receptors’, which are the things that tell our brain that we need sleep. So when the caffeine wears off, it hits us hard.
The next time you’re asked if you want a cup, say no. Or at the very least cut down on the amount you’re drinking.
Screen-based technology
Sleep buffs have been saying for a long time that if we only use our bedrooms for sleep, we’ll enjoy a much better night’s kip.
But we don’t. For many the bedroom is an office, a cinema, a listening room, a games room and everything in-between.
And now that we’re all jumping in bed and hitting unlock on our smart phones it’s only going to get worse. Why? Well the level of light emitted from our little phones can seriously disrupt our body clocks, and our fatigue.
So remember – the bedroom is for bedtime and that’s it.
Sleeping environment
Okay, so maybe you aren’t a caffeine guzzling, tech-whizz. So what’s stopping your sleep?
Well the culprit could be your bedroom. The environment in which you put your head down in every night does have an effect on how much sleep you could be getting.
One of the biggest factors is room temperature. Experts have agreed that the cooler your room, the easier your body will find it to reach its most comfortable temperature. But obviously, you don’t want to be too cold. That won’t do much for your sleep.
Another factor is how much natural light is making its way into your room. If the sun is blaring through your windows every morning then it’s going to wake you. Make sure you choose us to provide blinds and curtains in Cheshire. We’ll make sure they’re sufficiently blocking out light and that you get a good night’s rest.