8 Surprising Reasons Why You Can’t Sleep Through the Night

Updated on July 11, 2020
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Having trouble sleeping at night?

You’re not alone. In today’s fast-paced world, there could be dozens of reasons why you can’t sleep. We live in a society that’s always demanding more. More work, more efficiency, more improvement, more money, more success, more beauty!

The list could literally fill up the entirety of the internet. However, while improving your health, wealth, and overall life isn’t a bad thing, it can lead to unhealthy obsessions. These obsessions lead to a myriad of things that can keep you from sleeping at night.

The key is finding out what’s keeping you up and learning how you can fix it. Keep reading for some ideas that may just help you out.

Possible Reasons Why You Can’t Sleep

As we just told you, obsessing over getting more out of our lives, or more specifically, out of ourselves, is a good way to create insomnia. However, insomnia comes in many different forms with just as many causes. Some underlying medical conditions such as sciatica pain can also be the reason why you can’t sleep at night. In that case, a proper bed is needed to improve your sleep quality. Also, it might be too hot for you to sleep. In this case, an air conditioner such as blaux portable ac might help.

Our goal in this article is not to keep you from pursuing a better life but to help you determine the ways in which your pursuit could be adding to your difficulty of obtaining a peaceful night’s rest. Because at the end of the day, without rest, you’re never going to be firing on all cylinders.

1. You Keep Your Mind Too Active Before Bed

Regardless of what time you go to bed, many people sabotage their sleep time by keeping their brain too active. Their weapon of choice – their smartphones. 

Often called “blue light insomnia,” sleeplessness caused by too much brain activity resulting from TV, laptops, smartphones, and tablets is all too common. Additionally, it can also be traced back to certain diseases.

However, there is a simple cure. First, if you must be on your phone, tablet, etc. before bed, make sure you have the light dimmed down as much as possible. Additionally, some apps have come out now that change your light setting specifically to promote sleepiness and prevent blue light insomnia.

Finally, by increasing your blue and bright light exposure during the day will actually help you sleep better at night.

2. You Don’t Exercise

Another one of the reasons why you can’t sleep may be due to inactivity during the day. 

Many of us have sedentary jobs that don’t require a lot (if any) physical activity. While this is great for being comfortable and relaxed at work, it leaves are bodies full of unspent energy at night. 

Picking up a physical activity or exercise routine on a daily basis could go a long way toward quieting your body and mind for a peaceful night’s sleep. You don’t have to go crush weights at the gym for hours on end, but simply moving your body for a half hour or more a day will improve sleep and possibly your waistline.

3. You Have Too Much Anxiety

Anxiety comes with the territory of keeping up with modern society. We work way too much, relax way too little, and care way more than we should about what everyone thinks of us. This all results in one thing – having an existential anxiety.

As it turns out, anxiety is a major contributing factor to sleeplessness. However, learning some simple meditation techniques can really give us a competitive edge against anxiety, helping us get some much-needed sleep.

However, there are also other aids, such as seeing a therapist, getting on anti-anxiety medication, or returning to point #2 above and working out.

4. Medical Insomnia

Sometimes, insomnia stems from a medical condition. This leads to a common question – is insomnia genetic?

Well, the answer is yes and no. While insomnia itself is not genetic, many of the contributing factors are. This includes the previously mentioned anxiety, as well as depression and diabetes. 

Therefore, while insomnia can often be linked back to other external and internal issues in your life, it can also be connected to a medical condition. If you have insomnia, consider any other ailments you experience. If you get them under control, your insomnia may be resolved as well.

5. Alcohol Before Bed

While alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant, it can have a curious effect on our sleep cycle.

It’s no secret that drinking before bed makes it easier to pass out, however, it can also make it more difficult to stay asleep during the second half of the night. During this second part of your sleep, alcohol will actually make your sleep more fragmented, keeping you out of the deep sleep needed to awake fully rested.

To prevent alcohol-related insomnia, don’t drink anything within 2-3 hours before hitting the sack. And if you require an alcohol detox, make sure you read the recommended guidelines or seek out professional help.

6. Poor Sleeping Habits

Another one of the main reasons why you can sleep may be caused by a poor sleeping routine. 

If you stay up until two in the morning on the weekends, sleeping in until 11 or later, going to bed at 10 pm during the week may be out of the question. Your body simply won’t be tired by bedtime. 

The best thing you can do is establish a good sleeping routine and not allow yourself to sway too drastically during the weekend.

7. Taking Naps During the Day

While mid-day naps feel like the things heaven is made of, they may be keeping you up at night. 

Granted, a 15-minute power nap may be a harmless and much-needed energy booster, falling asleep for two or more hours during the day could easily create insomnia at night.  This is especially true if you fall asleep in front of the TV in the early evening and then try to go to sleep a few hours later.

8. Too Many Chemical Stimulants

Finally, there’s a lot of things we consume that could easily keep us from being able to get a full night’s sleep, even if we don’t feel perky.

Make sure you know what’s in your food. For example, caffeine is in much more than just coffee. It can be found in tea, chocolate, headache remedies, medications, ice creams, etc. 

Make sure you’re not consuming any stimulants before bed!

Feeling Sleepy?

We hope we helped uncover some possible reasons why you can’t sleep at night. We know how imprisoning it can feel to lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, feeling exhausted but not being able to sleep. 

Good luck and remember that the answer is out there, even if itn’s not in this post. Keep searching, you’ll find the answer to unlock your deep sleep again.

For more articles on everything healthcare, be sure to check out the rest of our blog!

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