We all long for a night of solid sleep, but achieving this goal is often more of a dream than reality. Sleep disruptors can be common, with everything from a stuffy nose to a ringing cell phone having the potential to disrupt your sleep.
Once you know the types of sleep disruptors, though, you can best prepare your night to limit their distractions.
Common Types of Sleep Disruptions
Sleep disruptions can range from those that are controllable to those that are not. Understanding the types of sleep disruptors can help you modify your habits and nighttime routine in order to limit sleep disruptions and sleep more soundly during the night.
Environmental
Have you ever woken up during the night because of a loud clap of thunder or because your phone lit up? These environmental sleep disruptors can rouse you from sleep simply because they interrupt your sleeping atmosphere.
Your ideal sleep environment should be dark, cool, and quiet; anything that impedes this can disrupt your sleep and cause you to wake up during the night. You may not be able to control the weather, but some things you can control include the use of room-darkening curtains or earplugs to help drown out outside sights and sounds.
Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders constitute conditions that interfere with the quality, amount, and timing of sleep.
Some sleep disorders include:
- Insomnia
- Sleep apnea
- Restless legs syndrome
- Narcolepsy
Some sleep disorders make it hard to fall asleep, while others result in disrupted sleep during the night. They may be linked to physical or emotional problems.
Allergies/Illness
Those who have allergies or an illness are more likely to suffer from:
Insomnia
- Increased snoring
- Poor sleep efficiency
- Short sleep duration
- Increase sleep apnea risk
- Trouble staying asleep
This is because of the symptoms that come with allergies or other illnesses. For instance, a congested nose can make it harder to breathe, increasing the risk of mouth breathing. However, this comes with a greater risk of snoring and sleep apnea, both of which can cause disruptions during the night.
Allergies and other illnesses can also cause a headache or a sore throat, both of which cause discomfort that may cause you to wake up during the night and have a hard time falling back asleep.
Nighttime Bathroom Breaks
Have you ever needed to get up multiple times during the night to go to the bathroom? If yes, then you have a condition called nocturia, or a nighttime need to go to the bathroom.
There are three main causes of nocturia:
- Producing too much urine at night
- Having a smaller bladder capacity
- Sleep disruptions
Producing too much urine is the cause of 88% of nocturia cases, and it can be tied to excess fluid intake, diabetes, poor kidney function, or diuretic consumption (i.e., caffeine, certain medications, or alcohol).
Unfortunately, each time you wake up with the urge to go to the bathroom, your sleep is disrupted.
Chronic Pain
When you’re in pain, it can be hard to reach a state of comfort needed to sleep. Not only can this shorten your time asleep, but also cause you to wake up frequently during the night. In fact, frequent nighttime wakings are often the most common sleep complaint in those with chronic pain, with up to 88% of those with chronic pain struggling with their sleep. If the pain is severe, it can also be hard to fall back asleep, further eating into the time that you should be sleeping.
The Consequences of Sleep Disruptors
Sleep is important, but many people do not get enough sleep. Sometimes, it’s because they do not leave enough time in their day for a full night of sleep, but more often than not, it’s because some type of disruptor keeps them up at night.
Given the importance of sleep, the consequences of poor sleep can be significant. Most importantly, since sleep is needed to keep the brain functioning properly, a lack of sleep can make it hard to focus, which may impede decision-making and lead to risky situations. Sleep deprivation may also cause your mood to worsen, exacerbating depression or anxiety and increasing irritability. Additionally, lack of sleep has been linked to chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
Knowing how important sleep is, it’s clear that sleep disruptors can have dramatic consequences, especially if nothing is done to remedy them.
Tips to Sleep Soundly
If you find your nights being interrupted, try out the following tips to sleep more soundly:
- Drink less before bed. If you find yourself waking multiple times in the night to go to the bathroom, evaluate your drinking situation before bed. Consider reducing how much you drink at night and avoid diuretics such as alcohol and caffeine.
- Improve your sleep hygiene. Focus on improving your sleep hygiene to sleep through the night better—keep a consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine, make your bed comfortable, get some exercise each day, keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet, and avoid electronics before bed.
- Relax before bed. Being stressed as you go to bed can increase the risk of some sleep disorders, such as insomnia, make your bladder act up, or exacerbate pain. Knowing this, try implementing relaxation techniques before bed, such as reading or meditation.
- See a doctor. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, seeing a doctor is critical to receive a diagnosis and then begin treatment.
- Take allergy medicine. If you suffer from allergies, consider taking your allergy medicine at night so that the dose is strong while you go to sleep.
- Take a bath or shower before bed. There are multiple benefits to this tip. For those with allergies, bathing before bed helps to remove any lingering allergens. However, the warmth of a bath or shower can also help to relax your body and prompt sleepiness, helping you to fall asleep.
Sleeping soundly through the night is a critical feature of a good night of sleep—the less you wake up, the more you can cycle through the sleep stages and the more deep sleep you can get. By implementing these tips above, you can get to the bottom of your sleep disruptors and start on the road to a smoother night of sleep.