Why can’t I sleep through the night?

Do you find yourself waking up during the night for no apparent reason?

You may have fallen asleep easily enough, but here you are once again, at 3am, staring at your bedroom ceiling, willing for your eyes to close.

Not being able to sleep through the night is infuriating and can leave you feeling exhausted the next day.

Many people brush off this type of sleeping problem because they associate insomnia with being unable to fall asleep in the first place or staying up all night, but the condition can present itself in many ways.

If you are waking up at the same time every night or waking up frequently and struggling to fall back to sleep, then this is a genuine issue for which help is on hand.

Let’s take a look at why this might be happening and the ways you can alleviate the problem so you can look forward to a night of uninterrupted sleep.

• Environmental factors

Sometimes the solution could be as simple as looking at your sleeping environment. 

Think…

• • Do you have heavy traffic running past your home in the early hours?
  • Are there street lights right outside your bedroom window?
  • Does your room get overly warm?
  • Does your partner snore?

Factors, such as those listed above, could momentarily wake you up. The key is identifying and alleviating these issues so, if your eyes open, you can fall back to sleep as easily as possible.  

What you can do…

Ideally, your room should be dark, comfortably cool and quiet. So, invest in blackout curtains or blinds and use an eye mask to block out errant light, buy a fan if you struggle with temperature control, and consider using earplugs to dull sound.

• Lifestyle

Various everyday lifestyle habits can have a bearing on the quality of your sleep. Take a look at some of the sleep-disrupting culprits below and see what changes you could make.

• Drinking alcohol close to bedtime. You may think a boozy nightcap is the perfect antidote to restless nights, with its drowsy effects lulling you off into the land of nod. However, alcohol suppresses REM sleep, leading to lighter, more fragmented sleep. It can also increase nighttime awakenings, often because of dehydration or needing the bathroom.
• Consuming too much caffeine. We all enjoy a warm cuppa, but too close to bedtime can have implications for your sleep. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine, the chemical in your brain that makes you feel sleepy as the day progresses. At the same time, it triggers the release of adrenaline which can leave you feeling energised when you should be winding down. Try limiting your caffeine intake or switching to decaf after lunch.
• Eating late in the evening. Lying down with a full tummy can lead to heartburn, which can wake you up later at night. Try to avoid eating within a couple of hours of bedtime to avoid any digestive discomfort.

• Stress

A very common reason for nighttime wake ups is stress. When you feel anxious, your body activates your sympathetic nervous system (your “fight” or “flight” mode), which keeps you in a state of high alert (hyperarousal) and ready to respond to danger – even if the danger is tomorrow’s work meeting or shopping list.

This not only jolts you awake at night with a start, but also leads to the overproduction of cortisol, which keeps you alert and prevents the release of melatonin, the handy hormone that helps you relax, switch-off and fall back to sleep.

And while you’re awake, your stress is continuing to brew as you contemplate the few hours you have left before you need to be up for the day, adding to your hyperarousal and creating a frustrating, vicious cycle.

What you can do…

Try to incorporate calming techniques like deep breathing or mindfulness throughout the day to reduce stress levels before bedtime. Journaling is also a simple, but effective tool for offloading any thoughts racing through your mind before you hit the pillow.

If you do wake in the night, why not give Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) a go? The idea is to systematically tense and then relax different muscle groups in your body – from your toes to your face! This not only releases physical tension but signals your parasympathetic nervous system (the opposing partner to your sympathetic nervous system) to activate your “rest and digest” mode.

If after 20 or 30 minutes, you’re still not feeling sleepy, get out of bed. Do something relaxing in dim light, such as reading a book or listening to soothing music, to help you feel drowsy. 

Whatever you do, do not reach for your phone. The clock will not only trigger your stress by reminding you of when your alarm is going off, but the blue light emitted from the screen will trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime, making the challenge of falling back to sleep that bit harder.

• Hormones

Hormonal changes can prompt you to wake up at night, especially if you’re a woman. Throughout your life there are stages of a woman’s health, including pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause, that are marked by hormonal changes that trigger sleep disturbances.

For instance, a decline in estrogen during menopause affects your ability to reach deep sleep, while symptoms like heightened anxiety and night sweats add another layer of disruption and can be very overwhelming.

What you can do…

Knowledge can bring great reassurance so understanding how your hormones affect your sleep is a great first step. You might need to experiment with strategies – such as your bedtime routine or tweaks to your bedtime environment – to find out what works best for you. Speaking to a healthcare provider could also provide some further answers.

• Age

This one catches up with all of us! As you get older, your circadian rhythm (the body’s internal 24-hour clock that determines when you’re awake and asleep) can shift quite dramatically.

You may start to experience shortened sleep duration and find yourself regularly waking up at 4am! Older adults are also more likely to take longer to fall asleep at night.

What you can do…

Don’t panic, this shift is part of the normal ageing process. Again, knowledge is power so seeking some reassurance from a healthcare provider will help to put your mind at ease. In the meantime, review your lifestyle choices, such as your consumption of alcohol and caffeine, to see if there are simple changes you can make straightaway to alleviate your issues.

• Health conditions and medication

Sleep apnea, asthma and even the common cold can be to blame for disrupted nights. In this case, it’s best never to guess – seek medical advice for a diagnosis and a targeted treatment plan.

It’s worth noting that some medications can also cause nighttime wakings, including some antidepressants, beta blockers to treat high blood pressure, corticosteroids to treat inflammation and cold remedies containing alcohol.

If these side effects are becoming unbearable, please speak to your healthcare provider who can discuss ways to relieve your symptoms or investigate potential, alternative medication.