![]() Research suggests that long naps and napping later in the afternoon can cause you to take longer to fall asleep at night, sleep poorly, and wake up more during the night. However, the wrong nap strategy can keep you up when you should be getting deeper Zzz’s. In fact, napping has several health benefits. If not that, it could be something else or a combination of things.īelow are some reasons why you might constantly be tired, especially during the day. If you’re tired but can’t sleep once the sun sets, it could be a sign of delayed sleep phase syndrome. to 12 a.m.), making it difficult to wake up in the morning for school or work.ĭSPS affects young people more, with a prevalence between about 7 and 16%. This occurs when you fall asleep 2 or more hours later than what’s considered “normal” (10 p.m. This could be a sign of delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). However, if you’re tired but can’t sleep, your circadian rhythm may be off. “I don’t care what someone’s schedule is, as long as it feels right for them and is healthy,” Winter says. So, unlike what your parents told you when you were a kid, there’s no reason you “need” to go to bed at a certain time. Our bodies are best primed to fall asleep about 2 hours after melatonin levels start to rise.Įverybody has their own circadian rhythm, Winter explains, which to some extent is genetic. ![]() Later in the day, as it grows darker, our bodies produce more melatonin, with levels peaking between 2 and 4 a.m. This hormone helps regulate sleep.ĭuring the day when it’s light outside, melatonin levels remain low. Located in the brain, the SCN controls melatonin production. The body’s master clock is called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This system uses light, dark, and our biological clock to regulate body temperature, metabolism, hormones (including melatonin), and sleep. Christopher Winter, MD, author of “ The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It.” If you do need to use them at night, make sure to set your smartphone to night setting so the light doesn’t make you even more awake.The circadian rhythm is like an internal timekeeper for everything our bodies do in a 24-hour period, explains sleep specialist W. practice with these apps during the day,” Doghramji says. A specially trained CBT-I therapist can help, but there are also apps available that teach you these important skills. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can help you retrain your thoughts to diminish the speeding of your brain, he says. ![]() Your goal shouldn’t be to stop worrying (via writing down thoughts and the like) in the middle of the night, but to address the root cause. But in the wee hours you may find yourself awake and staring at the ceiling, your mind spinning with worry. You may be able to fall asleep just fine - that’s thanks to “sleep pressure” that builds during the day to get you down at night, Doghramji says. Ask your doctor about the best time to take your meds to ensure they won’t interfere with your bedtime. Others, like antidepressant SSRIs, can either be energizing or sedating, depending what type you’re on. More than one or two bathroom breaks at night is abnormal, Doghramji says. Some, like diuretics for blood pressure, can make you have to urinate more often. Sleep can also be interrupted by poor timing of your medications. It will help you feel refreshed, and research shows that exercisers have better sleep quality, too - so it’s a double bang for your buck. If your afternoon energy tends to be low, try scheduling something active for that time. This may prevent you from feeling tired at bedtime then, spending too much time lying awake can contribute to insomnia. The most common time of the day when people get sleepy is between 2 and 3 in the afternoon, when we experience a natural dip in energy, he says. “Many adults don’t nap voluntarily or intentionally, but often fall asleep when not busy or watching TV,” says Doghramji. Maintain as close to a regular schedule as possible, even on weekends. But these times affect how your body releases melatonin later in the day. However, that can mean schedules go out the window - and make the time you go to bed or wake up feel less important. “One positive among older adults is that they often feel as if they’re under less stress,” says Malow.
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