Want a good night’s sleep? Not getting one every night? There are many causes of sleep deprivation that keep us from falling asleep easily or awakened in the middle of the night. Over time, loss of sleep causes many illnesses that affect our quality of life. Many of these reasons have relatively simple solutions you could try.
Solutions to Some Causes of Sleep Deprivation:
- Room Temperature – Is it too hot to fall asleep or does a blast from the air vent wake you up from a deep sleep? If so, think about sleeping under a cotton sheet (cotton is an all-natural breathable material that is absorbent, unlike man-made fibers that are often blended into cotton to make fabrics permanent press), wearing lightweight cotton sleeveless pajamas or nothing at all, getting a ceiling or bedside oscillating standing fan, drinking a glass of water, or simply turning the temperature down on the thermostat. A hot room is one of the major causes of sleep deprivation. However, if the room is too cold, try warming up your environment by turning up the thermostat, adding a thicker blanket, wearing flannel long-sleeved pajamas, or sleeping with another person (two bodies produce more heat than one).
- A noisy bed partner – Does he/she really snore that loud? Maybe it is time to consider separate rooms or a new mate. And then again, there may be better options. It might be time to get them to the doctor to make sure they are not having serious issues that are also affecting their sleep. If their snoring is something you are just going to have to get used to, then I suggest a set of good ear plugs.
- Stress –Instead of worrying about what is wrong with your life, maybe it is time to start celebrating what is good. Getting a good night’s sleep might be the best thing you can do for yourself right this moment to create the ability to actually think clearly about what is bothering you to be able to think of a great solution. Unfortunately, this is one of those situations that feeds upon itself and can take the most work to overcome it. One important things to remember if you are having trouble falling asleep because your mind won’t shut down is that you aren’t doing yourself any good just tossing and turning in bed. If you just can’t turn your mind off, get up and do something that will distract you. I am not talking about getting up and cleaning the house or painting the room. Instead, do something light and boring like reading a book or magazine article, take a warm bath, sip a warm cup of chamomile tea, listen to some soothing music, or watch a quiet movie. When you start to feel more relaxed, slip into bed and think about something soothing. Tomorrow will look much better after a good night’s sleep. Don’t let stress, one of the leading causes of sleep deprivation, keep you from sleeping.
- A crying baby – First, is the baby yours? If not and you don’t have any way of doing something to help the situation since it is the next door neighbor’s baby, then get some earplugs for the time being. If the baby is your responsibility, then you need to evaluate the situation not only for yourself, but everyone that might be affected by the crying. You may not have any choice than to miss some sleep till the baby gets a little older.
- A bright light – Did the city just erect a new street light right outside of your bedroom window? If so, shooting out the very expensive light bulb might solve the problem temporarily, but I am sure they will fix the bulb eventually and if they find out it was you who caused the problem . . . – I don’t recommend this as a solution in any way! A much better solution might be to get light blocking curtains or enjoy the benefits of a good blindfold.
- Pets – Man’s best friend in the bedroom can be a distraction to getting a good night’s sleep. Don’t get me wrong, benefits from a good guard dog can go a long way towards easing a person’s mind against intruders and providing their owner with peace of mind to insure a good night’s sleep. The problem is more to do with a dog’s natural tendency to be nocturnal. Even with the best of training, a pet needs help to open a door to go outside just to go to the bathroom. As a result, when the urge hits them, they have to get you up – then! A good solution is to make them a comfortable bed just outside your bedroom door. If you are sound asleep when they need to go outside, you probably won’t hear them and they will just wait till you are awake to help them – or so we can only hope.
- An uncomfortable bed – Is it time for a new mattress or can you work with the one you have? If your mattress is just too hard for you (and this is almost always based on personal preferences), then you can try getting a soft topper that goes between the mattress and your sheets. There are many options on the market specifically made for this purpose from memory foam, egg crate foam, and down, to name a few. If your mattress is too soft, the old adage of putting a board under the mattress might help a little. In this situation, if the mattress is in great shape a memory foam topper might help. It is more difficult to make a soft bed firmer. If all else fails or your mattress is just too old, lumpy, saggy, whatever, it might be time to consider a new mattress to eliminate one of the major causes of sleep deprivation. Even if money is very tight, this is not the place to be too cheap. We spend about one third of our lives in bed. Take your time when you are selecting your new bed. Shop around and make sure you get the most for your money (this will help to reduce the stress – problem #4 – of spending the money, figuring out how to get it home, how to dispose of the old mattress, etc.). A comfortable bed is a must!
I hope this is enough to get you to take a good look at your own situation and start a list of what keeps you from sleeping. Once you have your own list, determine what you can change and do it as quickly as possible. Although this article highlighted only a few of the causes of sleep deprivation, I hope you found it helpful in getting a good nights sleep.
