Quality sleep is key to safeguarding your well-being yet 56% of Americans experience one or more symptoms of insomnia including difficulty falling asleep, nighttime waking, early waking, and feeling fatigued upon rising. 40% of these adults surveyed reported that feeling tired had interfered with their daily activities. (National Sleep Foundation)

Significant disturbances in your sleep could impact your health and overall quality of life. Sleep is your body’s designated time for cellular renewal and detoxification. If we struggle falling asleep or staying asleep it impacts our energy, cognitive ability, resilience to stress, immunity, hormone metabolism, appetite and food cravings, and more.

The first step in starting to get more hours of restorative sleep is identifying the cause of sleeplessness in order to ascertain what steps to take to improve or remedy the situation.

Disordered sleep could be attributed to one or more of these conditions:

arthritis
restless leg syndrome
poor circulation
hyperactive thyroid
anxiety
poor sleep hygiene
sleep apnea
excessive caffeine intake
lack of physical activity

Some possible interventions that you can consider include:

limiting caffeine intake
avoiding heavy meals at night
cognitive/behavioral therapies
massage/physical therapy
relaxation techniques
restricting alcohol use
monitoring medications
avoiding tv and smartphone use in the evening
more exercise
keeping a regular bedtime routine
mouth taping
spending time outdoors
addressing hunger or nutrient deficiency

Tracking your sleep or keeping a sleep journal for a short period of time could help you better understand your sleep patterns so that you can get the sleep you need. Consider what aspects of your life could be contributing to poor sleep and then consider what is in your control to help the situation.

A good night’s sleep could be closer than you think. Connect with a True Living Coach to discuss your health and wellness goals.

If you struggle with insomnia or chronic fatigue talk to your doctor to rule out any underlying health conditions including obstructive sleep apnea or thyroid disorder. Be sure to ask questions and seek out referrals for evidence-based alternative therapies instead of relying only on drugs.

Additional Resources:

www.cbtforinsommnia.com

The American Sleep Association

The National Sleep Foundation