Do you ever have trouble sleeping?
If you’re like any of the millions of people worldwide who suffer from sleep disorders or periodic insomnia, chances are, you do.
According to Virtual Medical Centre, an estimated 90% of the Australians have some sort of sleep disorder. Better Sleep Guide says that and more than half of Americans lose sleep due to stress or anxiety.
Unfortunately, lost sleep, insomnia and sleep disorders can cause more than just crankiness on the part of the person who lacks sleep. Not having enough sleep can lead to a poor quality of life and lost wages due ti time off, as well as cause relationships to suffer, unneeded arguments and more. Insomnia is also linked to depression in many instances as well as obesity.
When I woke up last night to use the bathroom and saw that it was 3:01 am, I guess I had a right to feel dismayed!
Although I don’t normally have problems falling or getting to sleep, I’m still prone to bouts of insomnia here and there. And whenever it happens, I know there is usually another culprit underneath.
Along with the lunar cycle, I’ve discovered some other things that can keep me up late at night or cause me to wake up too early. I’m sharing those with you today in the hopes they’ll help you, too; because life is too short to not live the fullest and happiest each day.
Insomnia trigger #1: Having caffeine too late in the day.
This may sound like common sense, but I remember one time when I went out with family to a 6 pm dinner and ordered a cappuccino. I thought it would be fun to share one with my grandmother, who suggested it. Big mistake! Although my body was exhausted that night, my mind kept going and going and going … until 3:30 am! These days, I do my best to have my last coffee by 3 pm and I always make that one a half-caff.
Insomnia trigger #2: Too much stress.
Have you ever felt so stressed out that you couldn’t sleep? Me, too. In fact, if I’m unable to sleep, one of the first things I do is check in on my workload. What do I have going on? What is making me feel so stressed? Who can I call on to help share some of this burden? If you’re an empath, it’s also equally important to examine if you’re carrying someone else’s emotions or feelings, too. This has definitely kept me up at night more than a time or two!
Insomnia trigger #3: EMFs.
Do you sleep near a TV, laptop, cell phone or other electrical devices? All of these emit EMFs (Electromagnetic Frequencies), which, when exposed to at high levels, can result in insomnia, anxiety, brain fog and more. To see if EMFs are disturbing your sleep, spend a week with no electronic devices in your bedroom while you sleep.
Insomnia trigger #4: Drug or alcohol side effects or use.
Although doctors typically prescribe medications to help treating things, many drugs have side effects – insomnia included. If you’re at a loss as to why you can’t fall asleep or stay asleep, it’s worth a look at your medications to see if they could be the culprit. In addition, if you use drugs or alcohol for recreational purposes, consider how that could be affecting your sleep/wake cycle. If it’s a problem, know that there is always a way to stop.
Insomnia trigger #5: Working out too late.
When it comes to the triggers on this list, this is the one that affects me the most and causes me the hardest time in falling asleep. Personally, I try to never work out – I do 60 minutes of high intense cardio per day – after 1 pm. In the past when I haven’t followed this rule, it hasn’t spelled good news for me at bedtime.
Well, there you have it: my top 5 insomnia-related triggers.
Which one is keeping you up at night? Send me a message at jp@jaimepfeffer.com and let me know!
XO
Jaime