You follow all the sleep rules to the letter, but you're still not getting the rest you need. Here's why you're so tired.
1. All Your Clean Socks Are In The Wash
If
you're like many women, you've probably noticed that your hands and
feet are colder than your husband's when you climb into bed. This is
because the nerves that control blood flow to these areas are more
sensitive in women, and you were probably colder to begin with. The good
news is that when our core body temperatures fall, our extremities tend
to feel warmer as blood vessels dilate and the body radiates heat. To
speed the process, try going to bed in clean, fresh socks (the ones
you've been wearing all day are probably damp) and, if you need them,
mittens. Instead of using your husband as a foot warmer, try using an
actual hot water bottle, which won't protest or squirm away.
2. Your Favorite Position Makes Your Pelvis Crooked
Do
you wake up with sore, achy knees? It could be due to the way you curl
up at night. When we sleep on our side, both knees can rub against each
other, or one knee will fall slightly forward, says Rick B. Delamarter,
MD, co-medical director of the
Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles.
This puts the pelvis at an awkward angle, exacerbating existing knee
pain. Delamarter suggests placing a small pillow between your legs. This
will cushion the knees, level the pelvis, fix spinal alignment and even
alleviate lower back pain.
3. You're Sleeping in a Trench
"If
you can fit three fingers between your lower back and the mattress,
then it's not giving enough support," says Karin Mahoney, director of
the
Better Sleep Council
(the education arm of the International Sleep Products Association).
She suggests rotating the mattress 180 degrees every six months. Sleep
experts are always hesitant to recommend the perfect model, material or
brand of mattress, but medium-firm has been shown in studies and through
patient reports to be comfortable for most people, says Delamarter. He
says that you'll know it's time to upgrade when you regularly wake up
with stiffness, numbness and back pain. He frequently hears of patients
who test-drive mattresses at hotel chains before committing to a
purchase.
4. Your Pillows Need to Go on a Diet
Fluffy
pillows angle the head forward and put a kink in the neck. This is why
Delamarter says thinner pillows tend to be better than thicker. The
position of your body in bed should be similar to your alignment when
standing up straight: neutral spine, long neck. The small number of
people who sleep on their stomach should look for very soft pillows,
such as loosely packed down feather, to lessen the strain on their back.
Delamarter points out that older people or those with a slight hunch or
spinal curve will need a fuller pillow to tilt their head forward in
sleep as it is when they're awake.
5. You're Going to Bed with the Wrong Man
Even
though you've been warned against going to bed with the TV on, you feel
the talk show host's voice helps you relax. But the sudden shift to
loud or high-pitched commercials could be affecting your rest. The
recently passed Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act won't
solve this problem either. Most commercials don't actually exceed the
recommended volume limit, noted
an article in the April 2011 issue of Wired magazine;
they only sound louder. In a TV show, most of the noise comes from
people talking, with a few bursts of, say, shouts, horns or crashes.
During a commercial, though, the volume is elevated to
just below the maximum limit for the
entire
30 seconds. So you'll still be affected by those random, extended peaks
of sound. For the best rest, say goodnight to Dave, Jay and Conan
before getting into bed.
6. You're Sucking in Cold, Sooty Air
The optimal way to breathe in general is through the nose, says Nancy Collop, MD, president of the
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Our noses warm the air and filter out dirt and other particles.
Breathing through the mouth, especially while sleeping, can lead to
snoring, throat irritation, intense dry mouth and even abnormal
respiration and sleep apnea. Another problem, says Collop, is that mouth
breathing while lying on your back can cause the tongue to fall back
and partially obstruct the upper airway. Nasal strips can help you get
in the habit of breathing comfortably through your nose. If they don't,
you may want to see an ear, nose and throat specialist.
7. Microscopic Creatures Have Invaded Your Bedroom
You
know those tiny particles that float by on window-filtered sunbeams? At
night, they can trigger allergies and asthma flare-ups. Air purifiers
banish dust and other allergens (like dry-cleaning chemicals from the
bag hanging on your closet door), and dehumidifiers may also help by
taking moisture out of the air. "More moisture means more allergens,"
says Collop. But at the opposite extreme, desert-dry air can cause a
parched throat and itchy eyes, especially if you have a cold. Take into
account the levels in your home, the climate where you live and the
season when deciding how you should treat the air around you. The EPA
recommends a household relative humidity of 30 to 50 percent, and you
can test yours using a hygrometer (some thermostats have them built in,
or you can buy an inexpensive one at a hardware store).
8. You're Allergic to Your Snuggle Partner
Like
dust, pet dander can exacerbate mild allergies. What's more, 17 percent
of women say they are awakened during the night to care for their pet,
according to a 2008 poll by the National Sleep Foundation.
That doesn't include those who are pushed out of a deep sleep into a
lighter, less-satisfying stage by a pet purring, snoring, jumping off
the bed or using the litter box or doggie door. Help your pet learn to
appreciate having a bed of his own, and if you can't bear to banish him
from yours, at least try to keep him away from your face.
9. You're Throwing Off Your Internal Thermostat
Cold
temperatures make us drowsy, and a falling core body temperature helps
us get to sleep faster, says Collop. Help this process along by turning
down the heat and keeping your bedroom cool (ideally, around 60 to 68
degrees). Opening the windows also helps bring in fresh, oxygen-rich air
(unless you live near a freeway), which can contribute to your rest,
says John Dittami, an Austrian sleep researcher, biologist and
neurologist. However, there's a certain period of REM sleep during which
your internal heating and cooling systems change and you become more
sensitive to the temperature of the air around you. If you wake up at
that point, a once comfortably cool room may now feel chilly. Keep extra
blankets within reach so that you won't have to get up to search for
them.
10. Your PJs and Sheets Are Underperforming
Even
if you sleep in a cool room, you may wake up soaked with sweat. Night
sweats are commonly associated with perimenopause and menopause, but
they can also be triggered by menstruation, medications for depression,
diabetes and other conditions. Check with your doctor to make sure this
isn't a symptom of a serious condition or disease (such as an infection
or cancer). Then try sleeping with a fan to evaporate the moisture from
your skin, and always wear loose, breathable clothing. Several new
products address this problem: "performance" sheets made from the same wicking fabric as athletic shorts; soft, towel-like nightgowns to absorb moisture; and pillows covered in Coolmax fabric to prevent dampness.
11. The Trains Are Off-Schedule and So Is Your Night-Shift-Working Neighbor
We're
generally able to adapt to a regular noise like a nightly 3 a.m. train
whistle, says Collop, but we have trouble after being awoken by random,
unfamiliar or unexpected sounds. There are some noises you can't
control, like the clanging of a furnace or the backyard brawling of
stray cats. If you feel these are consistently getting in the way of
your sleep, consider a sound machine that emits white noise, crashing
waves or soothing music to block out the sudden audio interruptions.
12. You're Popping Uppers Without Realizing It
The
chemicals in some types of asthma pills are related to caffeine, and
that could contribute to insomnia and daytime jitters. Medications for
other conditions -- depression, high blood pressure, heart disease --
can have similar effects. Diuretics (also commonly prescribed for high
blood pressure) can make you have to go to the bathroom more frequently,
which is a major sleep disruptor. To identify what's keeping you up,
talk to your doctor about what you're taking and when you're taking it.
13. You'd Rather Sleep Alone
Collop says this is a frequent complaint from sleep center patients -- and their spouses.
14. Your Sleep Hormones Are out of Whack
Darkness
causes the release of the hormone melatonin, which is a highly
effective all-natural sleep aid. Even a small amount of light can throw
off your melatonin levels, and it takes only a few minutes for this to
happen. Dim the lights about 30 minutes before bed, and turn off all
electronic devices, including smart phones, computers and iPads. Block
outside light from the moon and streetlamps with opaque blinds or
curtains. Night-lights with red bulbs have less of an effect on
melatonin than white ones, and alarm clocks with red numbers are less
disruptive than ones with white or blue digits.
Source:
www.huffingtonpost.com
