Beyond the obvious sleep-wreckers like bad hotel beds and booze, a lot of things stand between you and a good night’s rest. Here are ten surprising factors that might be keeping you from catching a solid 8 hours a night.




Sleep Saboteur #1: A Hot Bed

Sure, during sex you want things to heat up. The rest of the time, though, you should keep your cool. Keeping your thermostat between 68° and 74°F promotes solid slumber.

Your body clock regulates your core temperature, and its fluctuations tell you when to sleep and when to wake up.

If the idea of cooling your entire house gives you nightmares, consider installing a “slave thermostat” to regulate only your bedroom temp. You can also tackle the problem lying down by using 400-thread-count cotton sheets.

Sleep Saboteur #2: Money Worries

Decreased financial resources leads to worry over paying bills, and you may be required to work more. The physical and mental overload increases activity in your brain, causing you to ‘think yourself awake.

This is when frustrated insomniacs often resort to distraction tactics, such as television. But even though watching TV may calm your racing mind, the flickering light will interrupt secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin, causing a less-than-restful night.

You’ll need to wage chemical warfare. Stress triggers the release of the hormone cortisol, which has been linked to insomnia.

Sex or masturbation causes a rush of endorphins, but there’s an even quicker fix: humor. Try watching a funny 3-minute video on YouTube.

If you still wake up fretting in the night, try counting sheep. Seriously. Counting occupies space in your brain’s “articulatory loop,” the part that processes ongoing information. The loop’s capacity is limited, so the fluffy guys crowd out unwanted thoughts.




Sleep Saboteur #3: Hellish Heartburn

If daytime heartburn is a pain, a midnight attack is a nightmare.

Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occur when the valve between your stomach and esophagus malfunctions, allowing acid to seep past. Some patients wake up choking or coughing, while others don’t consciously rouse but still feel drained in the morning. People with nighttime heartburn often wake up with a bitter taste in the mouth or a sore throat.

Beyond avoiding oversize meals and spicy food before bed, try a sleeping wedge to elevate your head a few inches above the rest of your body.

If you like to sleep on your side, curl up on your left side.

On you right side, the sphincter between your stomach and esophagus may stay open longer, letting acid flow freely.

Sleep Saboteur #4: A Squirming Bedmate

A limb-flinging, snoring, blanket-stealing partner will undeniably disrupt your sleep, but your bedmate may also be guilty of subtler offenses. Your partner’s teeth grinding, frequent bathroom trips, or even body heat can also spoil your slumber.

If she tosses and turns, top your mattress with memory foam, which won’t shift with her body.

If that’s too warm, choose a mattress with pocket coils; these aren’t tied together, so movement won’t create a chain reaction.




Sleep Saboteur #5: You Read Non-Fiction

Stick to made-up stories before bed. Having a heated conversation prior to pillow-time is known to keep you up, but the same can go for what you’re reading.

Emotional, absorbing topics can also keep you awake, he adds.

With fiction, on some level you know what you’re reading is imaginary, which removes the emotional connection, he explains.

Sleep Saboteur #6: Bad Air

Love those pretty red sunsets in your town? Many times they’re caused by air pollution, which may be seeping into your home and keeping you awake long after the sun dips below the horizon.

Poor air quality can increase your risk of disordered sleep breathing—repeated lapses in respiration during the night.

Sleep Saboteur #7: You Pop B Vitamins at Night

Think of B vitamins as energizers: They help form red blood cells and assist in the process of making energy from the food you eat. When the vitamins are doing their job correctly, they also regulate your sleep schedule.

If you take them at night, though, they can keep you up. Leafy green vegetables, beans, fish, and poultry are usually packed with B. But if you’re taking a supplement, make sure to pop it in the A.M.




Sleep Saboteur #8: She Comes, You Don’t

Sometimes sex sets you up perfectly for a good night’s sleep. After you do the deed, your body is relieved of stress, and your brain surges with oxytocin and serotonin, which have powerful sleep-inducing effects.

 Why? If you don’t quite get there, your blood is still flowing, there’s a buildup of pressure, and your brain is saying, ‘sex’—not ‘sleep’.

Sleep Saboteur #9: You Share a Bed with Your Cat

Pets at bed can disrupt your good night sleep. Common annoyances included snoring, whimpering, wandering around the house, and begging to go outside.

More than any other animal, cats seem to be the most disruptive. Dogs usually sleep through the night. Cats like to move around more and are much more nocturnal.

Since you have to worry about more than just small paws walking on your face, keep your critter outside the bedroom to protect your shuteye.

Sleep Saboteur #10: Smartphone Addiction

E-mailing and checking sports scores are all stimulating activities that prevent you from winding down.

 Even a quick check wakes your brain and your body. It’s a light box that you’re shining into your eyes at 11 p.m. Your body is seeing a strong trigger that it’s daytime.

Break your addiction by using a passcode on your phone and changing it once a week.

This forces you to pause before accessing the phone, breaking a behavior that’s often on autopilot. You’ll mentally register what you’re doing, which helps control the habit.

Check the phone once an hour or so before bed, and then cut yourself off, he says.


Source: Men’s Health