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There are many potential factors that can influence your ability to fall asleep, sleep well, and feel well-rested. Some of these elements are outside of our control, but the good news is that many are controllable. The first step is to review any lifestyle and behavioral habits impacting your sleep and find the root cause of your sleep challenges. Usually, it's not just one thing but rather several intertwined elements that may be holding you back from getting the rest you need.
To properly investigate sleep challenges, I look at the 5 Pillars of Healthy Sleep: environment, schedule, headspace, nutrition, and movement. It’s essential that each pillar is assessed in relation to your sleep and to each other because sleep must be viewed from a holistic lens, where one pillar may be affecting another.
For example, you may be watching TikToks in bed right before you go to sleep. But then you can’t sleep. You feel alert, thinking about recipes, style inspiration, and trends. Then you start worrying about your busy day tomorrow. Still, you can't sleep. Maybe just a few more videos… and now it’s 2 a.m., and you still can’t sleep.
If we unpack this, here’s what might be going on:
Watching anything in bed may lead to an unhealthy association between bed and wakeful activities. We want to pair bed with sleep and relaxation.
The content being watched may be overly stimulating, leading to a hyper-aroused state and increasing cortisol levels, a stress hormone.
Looking at any screen an hour before lights out may suppress melatonin production, a hormone necessary for sleep preparation.
See how it’s all connected? That said, everyone responds differently to various stimuli, activities, medications, and environments. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to sleep. The above example may cause no problem for one person but be a main source of sleep disruption for another.
If you’re experiencing sleeping challenges or looking to optimize your sleep, consider exploring the following areas to find the root cause of your issues:
In our fast-paced lives, stress and anxiety are among the biggest impediments to sleep. Your body needs to be in a calm state to sleep, but stress and anxiety heighten cortisol levels, making it difficult to fall and stay asleep.
You need natural, unfiltered sunlight daily (ideally first thing in the morning) to regulate your sleep cycle and keep you feeling alert. However, staying indoors can make this challenging. In the evening, it’s essential to limit light exposure, as bright, blue light (like from screens) can keep you awake longer than desired.
Your body needs a regulated sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at inconsistent times can confuse your sleep drive and hormone production (such as melatonin and cortisol), resulting in a sleepless Sunday night that leads to a groggy Monday morning.
Your surroundings—what you see, hear, smell, touch, and breathe—affect your sleep. The ideal room temperature for quality sleep is between 18-21°C. Your bedroom should be a cool, dark, quiet, and uncluttered space. Being mindful of allergens (like seasonal and pet allergens) and staying hydrated can also prevent respiratory issues that disrupt sleep.
What and when you eat can impact sleep quality and quantity. Certain foods may irritate the stomach, causing acid reflux or GERD during the night. Caffeinated or sugary foods may prevent drowsiness, while deficiencies in vitamins and minerals (like B12 or magnesium) can detrimentally affect sleep.
Daily physical activity helps you feel tired at night. Sedentary living makes it challenging to build the sleep drive needed to fall asleep and stay asleep. Movement and exercise also help balance hormones (such as cortisol, dopamine, insulin, thyroid, and reproductive hormones), all of which are important for healthy sleep, mood, and function.
Certain conditions may make finding a comfortable sleep position challenging, while certain medications or hormone imbalances may have side effects that disrupt sleep.
Why not connect with a sleep coach? Get in touch with me if you have questions or want to book a free 20-minute discovery call.
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