Trouble Sleeping at Night? Here Are the Causes and How to Overcome It – Without realizing it, there are many things that can cause insomnia at night . One of them is taking too long a nap or the habit of playing gadgets before going to bed . Well , if it’s like this, insomnia should not be ignored because it can have a negative impact on physical and emotional conditions.
Adults need 7–9 hours of sleep each night. If you have trouble falling asleep, wake up frequently, or wake up too early and have trouble falling back asleep, it could be a sign that you have insomnia . As a result, you will feel tired or sleepy in the morning and afternoon, have difficulty concentrating, which will ultimately reduce your productivity.
Causes of Difficulty Sleeping at Night
Adequate and quality sleep plays an important role in maintaining body health. When you have trouble sleeping at night, your sleep automatically becomes poor quality. This means that insomnia can trigger health problems.
The following things you may often do and without realizing it can trigger insomnia at night. Here is the explanation:
1. Playing with gadgets before going to bed
Gadgets emit blue light that can reduce or inhibit the production of melatonin in the body. Melatonin itself is a body hormone that regulates the sleep and wake cycle and triggers drowsiness.
If melatonin production decreases due to the habit of playing with gadgets before bed, you may have trouble sleeping at night.
2. Taking too long a nap
Napping for more than 20 minutes can cause you to have trouble sleeping at night. How come? Because, the duration of a nap that is too long can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle, which results in difficulty falling asleep at night. In addition, the sleep-wake cycle can also be disrupted if you sleep after 2 pm.
3. Exercise close to bedtime
Exercise is healthy. However, if done close to bedtime, exercise can cause difficulty sleeping at night, you know . When exercising, adrenaline production usually increases and the brain becomes active.
This causes an increase in heart rate and body temperature, which keeps the body awake even after bedtime. If you want to exercise at night, finish your workout at least 60–90 minutes before bedtime.
4. Experiencing jet lag
Jet lag is experienced by many people who travel across multiple time zones. This condition can disrupt the circadian rhythm or sleep and wake cycle, because the body is always adjusting to the time change. As a result, you will have trouble sleeping at night when you arrive at your destination country.
Not only jet lag , shift work schedules that require you to work at night also disrupt your circadian rhythm. That’s why you might have trouble sleeping at night when you finally get a daytime work schedule.
5. Eat before bedtime
Eating too much before bed can cause a feeling of fullness, which makes you uncomfortable while sleeping. In addition, lying down immediately after eating also triggers heartburn , because food and stomach acid rise into the esophagus. These two conditions are what cause you to have trouble sleeping at night after eating.
6. Consuming caffeinated drinks
Caffeine can inhibit the work of adenosine or chemicals in the brain that trigger drowsiness. That is why, consuming caffeinated drinks, such as tea, coffee, or soda, at least 5 hours before bedtime can cause difficulty sleeping at night.
In addition to the causes of insomnia above, some people also often associate insomnia with certain events, one of which is quite famous is the full moon . In fact, the myth related to the full moon phenomenon can affect a person’s mood and mind to the point of making it difficult to sleep.
Easy and Effective Tips to Overcome Insomnia at Night
Not only does it cause fatigue and drowsiness during the day, insomnia also affects physical and emotional health. If it persists, this condition will have a negative impact on concentration and mood, and can even increase the risk of depression, obesity, and heart disease .
To avoid these negative effects, there are several ways you can sleep faster and more soundly, including:
- Take a warm bath before bed
- Stop using gadgets at least 1 hour before bedtime.
- Create a comfortable sleeping atmosphere, for example by turning off the lights and making the room cool.
- Drink a glass of milk or a cup of chamomile tea before bed.
- If you still can’t get sleepy, you can read a book with a light story.
- Consume foods that contain tryptophan, such as fish, cheese, chicken, or sunflower seeds.
- Increase your consumption of foods or drinks that contain magnesium ,
- such as almonds, cashews, soy milk, and spinach.
- Do meditation for about 15 minutes in the morning and evening.
- Regularly exercise at least 150 minutes per week
Inhale the aroma of lavender oil , either by using a diffuser or by spraying the oil onto your pillow.
The key to overcoming insomnia at night is to live a healthy lifestyle and adopt good sleeping habits, such as not sleeping in the afternoon . Avoid doing activities other than sleeping in bed, including eating, working, or playing gadgets , because this can reduce sleep quality.
So, are you ready to leave behind the habits that cause insomnia? Don’t forget to also apply tips for sleeping faster and more soundly, so that your sleep quality improves, okay?
If for several weeks the complaint of insomnia at night does not improve even though you have applied the methods above, you should see a psychiatrist for treatment. Because, insomnia that continues can be a symptom of a serious illness, such as diabetes, asthma, arthritis, or respiratory disorders.
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