What’s Disrupting Your Sleep?

You’re doing everything right when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. You shut off your screens an hour before bedtime, and your room is cool and dark, but you’re still tossing and turning.

While that can be frustrating, it may also indicate you’re dealing with a non-sleep-related condition that's preventing you from getting quality rest.

Some of common “sleep disruptors” include:

Age. As we get older, we spend more time in light sleep than deep sleep or REM sleep, and we’re more likely to experience several wake-ups (to go to the bathroom, for example). Additionally, certain medications can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep, especially if you're taking more than one.

Breathing Issues. Up to 50% of adults snore due to conditions such as asthma, congestion, sleep apnea or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which also can lead to gasp-waking, insomnia and daytime fatigue. It also raises risks for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart failure.

Chronic Pain. Studies show that up to 88% of people battling chronic pain, such as arthritis or fibromyalgia, report that they have insomnia. This can lead to a vicious cycle where pain causes poor sleep, and that poor sleep causes more pain.

Digestive Problems. Stomach conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome disrupt serotonin production, causing your body to produce the “wakefulness” hormone rather than the sleep hormone melatonin. The discomfort of those conditions also can wreak havoc on your beauty sleep.

Gender and Hormones. Up to 47% of perimenopausal and up to 60% of postmenopausal women experience sleepless nights. The changes in their estrogen and progesterone not only throw off their circadian rhythm but can cause hot flashes, night sweats and anxiety, too. In men, a decrease in testosterone can reduce sleep quality while raising the risk of sleep apnea.

Mental Health Conditions. Researchers believe that as many as 40% of insomniacs have a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression (including seasonal depression) or PTSD. This can make it hard for us to sleep due to racing thoughts, worries or even nightmares.

If you think there’s a medical issue that’s preventing you from getting quality sleep, try using a sleep tracker or keeping a sleep diary to gather information you can share with your doctor, including patterns related to:

• Heart rate variability
• How many nighttime wakeups you experience, and the duration of those interruptions
• Morning energy levels
• Sleep duration, including naps
• Sleep stages (light, deep and REM sleep)
• Stress, medication and caffeine and alcohol intake
• The times you went to bed and woke up

Remember, while you can control most aspects of your sleep environment, an underlying condition may be what’s keeping you up at night.

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