(bright guitar music) (writing utensils scratching)
(ding)
- [Amanda] Hey to Psych2Goers,
and welcome back to another video.
Are you having trouble getting a full night's rest?
Do you go to bed at 11:00 pm
hoping for a good night's sleep but wind up waking
somewhere between 3:00 am and 5:00 am instead?
(yawns)
Do you feel tired, foggy, and sluggish
when you don't get enough sleep?
A good night's sleep is very important for your health.
Are you struggling to get enough sleep
at night because of this?
If so, let's find out what may be interfering
with your natural sleep patterns.
Number one, your lifestyle choices.
How much of your daily and nightly routine
do you build around ensuring a good night's sleep?
Your daily and nightly routines are what
will help determine how well you sleep at night.
These five things can disturb your sleep patterns.
Drinking caffeine or alcohol before going to bed.
Eating food right before bedtime.
Staying up late on your phone or your computer.
Taking a nap too late in the day and smoking.
Though we all wanna stay up to date
on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
When you stay up late checking your feed
and scrolling through your phone,
it'll only make getting to sleep that much harder for you.
And with the business of your day,
you might start to feel run down and droopy eyed.
But if you lie down and take a nap
in the late afternoon or early evening, you'll be too alert
and awake by bedtime to even be able to go to sleep.
If you struggle with waking up in the middle of the night,
think about your daily and nightly routines
and try to weed out some bad habits
that may be hindering you
from getting proper sleep at night.
If you make the changes you need for a good night's rest
then you'll be well on your way
to sleeping through the night.
Number two, your emotional state.
Can you recall a period of time
when you slept well every single night?
Did you have better sleep during a lighter,
happier time in your life?
Your emotional state has a significant effect
on how you sleep and your quality of sleep.
Your emotional state can be left in turmoil
if you're experiencing a time of heightened stress
or anxiety, and this can lead to sleep disturbances.
Stress and anxiety trigger
your ingrained fighter flight feeling.
And this will elevate your heart rate,
quicken your breathing
and increase the stress hormones in your body.
All of which make it more difficult
for you to sleep peacefully.
If you're struggling with sleep and anxiety in your life,
try a guided meditation before bedtime.
Deep breathing exercises will also
help you relax enough for sleep.
Taking a hot shower or bath
will help distress you enough
to wind down properly for bedtime.
These tips can help you with your stress or anxiety
and in turn, help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Number three, low blood sugar.
Did you know that low blood sugar can cause
your brain to wake you up in the middle of the night?
Your brain is very active during the night
as it regenerates, repairs and converts
your short-term memories
into long-term memories while you sleep.
However, since it's so active during the night,
it also uses up a lot of your energy reserves.
If you suffer from low blood sugar levels,
your brain will consume most of your energy reserves
and think that you've run out of fuel.
As a result, your brain will release cortisol
to make you hungry and wake you up
so you can go get something to eat.
If you find yourself routinely waking up
and going to the kitchen to root around
for a midnight snack,
you may have low blood sugar levels
and this might be the cause of your sleep disturbances.
If you're having trouble sleeping through the night
and are waking up at odd hours
do you now have a better sense
of why this is happening to you?
What are other reasons you think could be waking
you up at 3:00 am and 5:00 am?
Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Please like and share this video if it helped you
and you think it could help someone else too.
The studies and references used
are listed in the description below.
Don't forget to hit the subscribe button
for more Psych2go videos and thank you for watching.
We'll see you next time.