3 Reasons you can’t fall asleep at night

Late nights and not being able to fall asleep becomes exhausting and makes work days very unproductive. Learning how to get into a regular sleep pattern can help improve the chances of getting a restful night’s sleep. 

Let’s focus on some of the things that you can do to get some well deserved rest at the end of each day. 

1. You’re Eating too Late

There are activities that activate your sympathetic nervous system that should remain as daytime activities; things like exercising, working and eating are all things that keep the body and brain alert. They keep hormones like cortisol and adrenaline present in the body, which is great for day time but not so great for wanting to fall asleep at night. 

At night we want to make sure our parasympathetic nervous system is running the show. This is our rest and digest, helping the body to get into a restful state, but how can it focus on resting when it’s still busy digesting food in the belly?

Try to consume your last meal or snack around 6pm, because your body starts to decrease the digestive process as the night continues, as a result the later you eat, you may find you experience bloating or stomach pains which will keep you awake and not allow you to fall asleep with ease. Try to avoid any food, including snacking 3 hours prior to bedtime. 

2. Your Phone Is Too Bright 

These days it’s not uncommon to be staring at screens on numerous devices all day, in return our sleep cycles are getting messed about. Behind our eyes is the pineal gland, which is in charge of the production of melatonin, our sleep hormone. 

The Pineal gland is regulated by light. When the sun rises its light rays emit blue waves that signal the pineal gland to produce less melatonin, which in return wakes the body up.

Most phones these days have the same blue light that we receive from the sun first thing on waking. Using the dark/night mode feature on your phone at night can help avoid the extra exposure to the bright blue light that keeps you awake.

3. Stress and Anxiety 

The way that stress disrupts our hormones means unsettled sleep. When under stress, which can be anxiety caused stress, it can cause an increased spike in the production of cortisol hormone. Cortisol should be short lived, once the stress is over, however if your body is in constant state of stress then it never ends. Over 40% of people complain that their sleep is affected by stress.

Natural ways you can assist with stress before jumping into bed include:

• Light stretching or yoga 
• Diffusing essential oils 
• Listening to calming music 
• Taking a bath 
• Drinking Herbal Tea
• Using CBD products 
• Meditation 

Instead of staying in bed tossing and turning all night, get out of bed and reset yourself, using one of the above suggestions, once you feel calm again, get back into bed to try and fall asleep.