Do You Have A Sleep Disorder?
Look over this list of common signs of a sleep disorder, and talk to your doctor if you have any of them:
- It takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night.
- You wake up often during the night and then have trouble falling back to sleep again.
- You wake up too early in the morning.
- Even if you spend 7 or 8 hours or more sleeping at night but often don’t feel well-rested.
- You are sleepy during the day and fall asleep within 5 minutes if you have a chance to nap, or you fall asleep at inappropriate times during the day.
- Your bed partner claims you snore loudly, snort, gasp, or make choking sounds while you sleep, or your partner notices your breathing stops for short periods.
- You have creeping, tingling, or crawling feelings in your legs that are relieved by moving or massaging them, especially in the evening and when you try to fall asleep.
- While falling asleep or dozing, you have vivid, dreamlike experiences.
- You have episodes of sudden muscle weakness when you are angry, fearful, or when you laugh.
- You feel like you can’t move when you first wake up.
- Your bed partner tells you that your legs or arms jerk often during sleep.
- You regularly need to use stimulants to stay awake during the day.
Also keep in mind that, although children can show some of these same signs of a sleep disorder, they often don’t show signs of excessive daytime sleepiness. Instead, they may seem overactive and have difficulty focusing and concentrating. They also may have problems in school.
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Try Audible Plus If you consistently find yourself feeling tired or not well-rested during the day despite spending enough time in bed at night, you may have a sleep disorder. #Sleep #SleepDisorder Share on X13 Tips For Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
- Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
- Exercise is great but not too late in the day. Get aerobic exercise during the day to reduce stress hormones, but avoid anything too strenuous within 3 hours of bedtime. Regular exercise may promote deeper sleep.
- At bedtime, keep your mind off worries or things that upset you; avoid discussing emotional issues in bed.
- Avoid caffeine and nicotine. Coffee, colas, certain teas, and chocolate contain the stimulant caffeine, and its effects can take as long as 8 hours to wear off fully.
- Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. Alcohol robs you of deep sleep and REM sleep, keeping you in the lighter stages of sleep. You also tend to wake up in the middle of the night when the effects of the alcohol have worn off.
- Avoid large meals within two hours of bedtime. If you are hungry, a glass of milk or a light snack is a good choice. Milk contains amino acids that have been shown to help people go to sleep.
- If possible, avoid medicines that delay or disrupt your sleep. Some commonly prescribed heart, blood pressure, or asthma medications, as well as some over-the-counter and herbal remedies for coughs, colds, or allergies, can disrupt sleep patterns.
- Don’t take naps after 3 p.m. Naps can help make up for lost sleep, but late afternoon naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night.
- Relax before bed. Don’t overschedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding.
- Take a hot bath before bed. The drop in body temperature after getting out of the bath may help you feel sleepy, and the bath can help you relax and slow down so you’re more ready to sleep.
- Have a good sleeping environment. Get rid of anything that might distract you from sleep, such as noises, bright lights, an uncomfortable bed, or warm temperatures.
- Have the right sunlight exposure. Daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes each day.
- Don’t lie in bed awake. If you find yourself still awake after staying in bed for more than 20 minutes, get up and do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. The anxiety of not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.
See a doctor if you continue to have trouble sleeping. If you consistently find yourself feeling tired or not well-rested during the day despite spending enough time in bed at night, you may have a sleep disorder. Your family doctor or a sleep specialist should be able to help you.
Such awesome tips, Janet! It’s obvious you know just how severe the impacts are of not getting enough sleep, or quality sleep each night. Isn’t it incredible just how much of an impact sleep alone has on our well-being? I’ll be fully honest – I can go without food, but sleep is a very different story. (sigh) I hate how short-fused and cranky I become when I’m tired. For that reason alone I try to be well-rested. I also notice a significant increase in anxiety, depression, and general moodiness when I’m battling fatigue. Are you this way?
Though they are all amazing, my favorite tip is probably this one: “Relax before bed. Don’t overschedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding.” — Yes! I wholeheartedly agree with this! This crazy world thinks that busyness equals success. In my humble opinion, the opposite is true. God calls us to rest (figuratively and literally) for a reason. We cannot be effective if we are worn out, stressed out, and overwhelmed with too much on our ‘to do’ list. Scheduling time to simply just be, breathe, and belong to the Father is the most productive thing we can do sometimes, especially when we are in seasons of challenge and emotional upheaval!
At the end of last year I asked folks on Twitter and Instagram what their biggest sleep challenges were so that I could address the issues in a blog post. It has been in my drafts folder since life just kind of went haywire around that time. You’ve motivated me to get it finished and I’ll do my best to include a link to your post so others can come enjoy your wisdom too.
Sending my love to you, sweet friend. Know that I think of you often and value you very much! I pray you and your loved ones are well, encouraged, and blessed! 😘
Thank you Holly! You have such great advise. I look forward to seeing your post. You are the best!