Blog SleepConnectionStore » 5 Reasons You’re Waking Up at Night

More than a third of Americans experience nocturnal awakenings, according to a 2008 study by the Journal of Psychiatric research.

Sleep has become a battle for too many of us. If we’re even able to get to sleep, we’re only halfway there. Some people find it necessary to use a sleep aid from time to time, even while acknowledging that isn’t the ideal solution.

In this article, we’ll begin to explore more natural ways of helping you sleep through the night, dispelling a few myths along the way. Keep in mind that everyone is a little different, as recent insights into genetic predisposition have shown us, so feel free to experiment and see what works best to help you sleep through the night.

What's You Up?

1. Need to Use the Bathroom

This may be the most common culprit, but as long as you’re able to go back to sleep quickly, your sleep cycles may not be disturbed too much. There can be several reasons for these nocturnal bathroom trips.

Drinking liquids within an hour or two of bedtime
It’s critical to drink plenty of water throughout the day, just stop a couple of hours before bedtime. Don’t try to catch up at the last minute!

Caffeine consumption, timing, and amount
We hear a lot these days about the benefits of caffeine. There are also recent studies showing that, contrary to what was previously thought, caffeine doesn’t appear to be a diuretic.

However, that doesn’t mean we can throw all caution to the wind and drink as much as we’d like. There’s still a dark side to caffeine.

A study on the effects of caffeine at 0, 3, and 6 hours before going to bed concluded by recommending refraining from substantial caffeine use for a minimum of 6 hours before bedtime.

We’re all individuals, and as such, genetics plays a part in our ability to process caffeine. If your body doesn’t handle caffeine well, it doesn’t matter what the experts say. Pay attention to your body and how caffeine affects you, including sources such as chocolate and caffeinated soda, and adjust your intake and timing accordingly.

Diuretics

Common prescriptions such as blood pressure medicines work as a diuretic, prompting you to get up frequently during the night to urinate.

Weak or overactive bladder

Common causes include:

Weak muscles
Nerve damage
Use of medications
Caffeine
Infection
Being overweight
Diabetes
Alcohol consumption

Alcohol is a diuretic, and while it may help you fall asleep initially, it wakes you up in the middle of the night. A well-known relaxant, alcohol also affects the quality of your sleep by relaxing the muscles in your throat, which causes snoring.

2. Lack of Exercise

Our bodies are designed to move as well as rest. Exercise and sleep work hand-in-hand; a regular exercise routine contributes to improved sleep, and when you sleep well, you feel more like exercising.

You’ve probably heard that you shouldn’t exercise right before bedtime. However, if the evening is your only opportunity, try it. You may find yourself in that perfect state when endorphins have kicked in, and you are relaxed and tired enough to fall – and stay – asleep. Again, see what works best for you in your situation.

3. Indigestion or Heartburn

Indigestion

Give your body two to three hours to digest your meal or snack before going to bed. Your digestive system needs to rest and restore just as much as every other system in your body; overburdening it with a late meal doesn’t allow for that.

Heartburn

Studies show that 14-20% of all Americans experience heartburn at least once a week, with 70-75% experiencing it at night. Heartburn is often related to your diet,

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can also be experienced as heartburn but is a chronic illness that affects 5-7% of the world’s population and can cause serious complications.

Healthy Foods

Certain foods can actually help you sleep better due to the nutrients they contain.

Here is a very brief list to give you an idea of where to start:

Bananas contain potassium and magnesium, both natural muscle relaxants—also, tryptophan, which breaks down into serotonin and melatonin, critical neurochemicals for sleeping. Cherries also provide melatonin. Brazil nuts contain selenium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Try making this simple nut milk recipe with Brazil nuts as a delicious alternative to regular milk an hour or two before bedtime.
Salmon contains Vitamin D and DHA, both of which have been shown to aid in sleeping.

4. Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Snoring is a major cause of waking up frequently at night, affecting approximately 45% of men as well as their spouses. Sleep Apnea has serious risks associated with it, so check with your physician if you think that may be an issue.

In either case, snoring is a serious issue that interrupts sleep and leaves everyone tired the next morning.

An anti-snore watch is a perfect solution for helping you sleep through the night. The Sleep Connection sleep watch is a type of pulse sleepwear that is worn comfortably at night. It works by encouraging you with a gentle pulse to change your sleeping position. You stop snoring, and no one wakes up.

5. Worry and Stress

We live such busy lives, cramming everything we can into each day, keeping long hours. There’s so much to do, so much to think about. And whether it’s COVID-19 or any other troubling situation, we can’t help but be concerned.

Here are some practical things you can do to help alleviate stress and worry before or at bedtime.

Make it a habit to list tomorrow’s tasks, either with paper and pen or on your phone. The idea is to get it out of your mind, so you don’t keep thinking about it needlessly.
Journal. Write down your concerns and then leave them alone for the night.
Set out tomorrow’s clothes and prepare for the morning meal. Two more things off your mind!
Stop watching television, reading your emails, or checking up on social media an hour before bedtime.
Read something relaxing but make it a real book to avoid blue light stimulation.
If bubble baths are your thing, take a nice, scented, relaxing bubble bath just before bedtime.
Do 15 minutes of tai chi or calm yoga.
Listen to soothing music.
Try a guided sleep meditation.
Do some deep breathing; experiment with various breathing patterns.

Conclusion

Waking up at night affects over a third of Americans, and upwards of 40% of men due solely to snoring. There are many contributing factors, and we have looked at just a few of them in this article.

The good news is that there are natural, healthy things you can do to get a good night’s sleep, all night.

If snoring is waking you up night after night, visit us today for your sleep solution. The Sleep Connection Watch will have you sleeping through the night the very first night you try it.

5 Reasons You’re Waking Up at Night – and What You Can Do About It