Can’t Sleep or Having Trouble Sleeping?

Causes of Poor Sleep

Treating your sleep can help set you on the path to a more energised life. Let’s first pin the reason for your sleeplessness to figure out why you're not getting a good night's rest. Here are a few reasons that can cause poor sleep: 

• Shift Work ¹ - Irregular Hours of Sleep

Inconsistent sleep times can interfere with your sleep-wake cycle. Our bodies are programmed to have regular and routine sleep to function better every morning. When we have different sleep times it can disrupt our bodies' natural rhythm.

 

• Stress ²

Day-to-day living can be stressful which can interfere with sleep. We recommend starting a relaxing routine before bed such as a warm bath or shower. If you find that your stress is chronic, your sleeplessness could relate to your mental health. 

 

• Caffeine, Alcohol, and Sleeping Tablets ³

Too much Caffeine can impact your body's natural sleep rhythm, opt for a lighter dose if you need an extra boost during the day such as green tea. Alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first but can give you poor quality of sleep.

Signs of Poor Sleep 

Ongoing poor sleep can lead to a number of problems. Take note of the following few if you are starting to see signs of sleep deprivation : 

• Increased Anxiety or Mood Swings

Lack of sleep can make you feel more anxious than usual. However, anxiety can also make it more difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep.  

• Concentration Issues 

When researchers gave people who were sleep deprived a hand-eye coordination task or tested them in a driving simulator, they responded just as bad or worse than people who were drunk ⁴. If you’re sleep deprived and you drink alcohol this effect is magnified.

• Weight Gain 

The effects of bad sleep could increase your appetite, particularly for high-carb foods as the body is desperately seeking added energy. Add that and the decreased energy during the day, weight gain becomes a common symptom of lack of sleep.

Sleep Disorders

If you know you aren’t getting enough sleep or are constantly feeling lethargic, you should determine if you’re experiencing a sleeping disorder. Here are common sleep disorders that might affect you: 

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissue in the back of your throat relaxes during sleep and blocks the airway, causing you to momentarily stop breathing and snore loudly during sleep. While many people with sleep apnea aren’t even aware that they have the sleeping disorder, it can lead to serious health problems over time such as stroke, high blood pressure, and weight gain. We recommend that you consult these symptoms with your GP.

• Insomnia

Insomnia can be prompted by stress, illness, or anything that can cause you to feel distressed and upset. An ideal treatment involves dealing with the root of the problem, and professional advice should be sought.​

• Snoring

Snoring can be disruptive to a household. There are many underlying issues that could cause snoring that may be able to be treated with lifestyle changes or even a snoring mouth guard. However, snoring can also be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea as they share similar "sounds".

• Restless Leg Syndrome

If you have the urge to move your legs (or arms) during the night, you may have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). It may be a habitual movement or one prompted by an ache, tingle or uncomfortable. Moving eases the unpleasant feeling temporarily.

References

1. Alhola, Paula and Päivi Polo-Kantola, Sleep Deprivation: Impact on Cognitive Performance (2007) Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/ 

2. Buhaets, Amanda, Caffeine: Health Navigator NZ Health Navigator New Zealand https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/healthy-living/c/caffeine/ 

3. Dusang, Kaylee, How Stress Can Affect Your Sleep (May 9, 2019) Baylor College of Medicine https://www.bcm.edu/news/how-stress-can-affect-your-sleep 

4. Newsom, Rob and John DeBanto, Aging and Sleep: How Does Growing Old Affect Sleep? (February 28, 2023) Sleep Foundation https://www.sleepfoundation.org/aging-and-sleep