5 Surprising Things That Can Disrupt Your Sleep Cycle

You’ve just left the office. You’re dead tired. You just want to climb into bed, fall asleep and wake up tomorrow morning. But there’s something nasty in your way, preventing you from doing so.

That thing is known as sleep disruptions. And it can cause a lot of issues for both inspiration, and life in general. In this article, I will enlighten you on 5 surprising things that can disrupt your sleep cycle.

Sleep is a major player in our everyday lives. A good night's sleep is important for our physical health, brain function and overall well being. But we all know that, right? What a lot of people don't realize though, is that many things can disrupt your sleep cycle and prevent you from having a solid night of sleep.

You’ve been looking forward to the weekend all week long. Now it’s here and you have big plans with friends, family, or your significant other.

You have a great time and feel more energized and refreshed than you have in weeks. But then you go to bed and it takes you hours to fall asleep, or as soon as you start to drift off, you wake up in a cold sweat.

What is going on? What could be causing this?

You may want to consider these 5 surprising things that can disrupt your sleep cycle:

1. Stress

One of the biggest things that can contribute to insomnia is stress. It can be from a major life event like a divorce or death in the family, or it can be something less dramatic but more frequent, like work-related stress. Either way, stress can lead to elevated levels of cortisol in the body which keeps you awake.

2. Caffeine

It’s no secret that caffeine is a stimulant. If your sleep cycles are interrupted by drinking coffee late in the day, try limiting yourself to one cup of coffee after lunchtime. Even so, if you already have trouble sleeping at night, caffeine is probably best completely avoided.

3. The Weather

In the winter months, days are shorter, which means less exposure to daylight; this can make it difficult to maintain a healthy sleep schedule. When it's dark outside, your body produces melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy.

Exposure to sunlight reduces melatonin production and signals your body to be more alert and active. You also may not get as much exercise in the colder months (who wants to go for a run in 20-degree weather?), which can lead to weight gain and unhealthy sleeping patterns.

4. Your Diet

If you're eating healthy foods, getting proper nutrition and drinking enough water throughout the day, you're much more likely to have a restful sleep cycle than if you're eating junk food and consuming too much caffeine or alcohol.

5. Filled Bladder

A full bladder is often overlooked as a reason for waking up in the middle of the night. If you find yourself waking up around 3 am every night, make sure that your bladder isn't full and causing this disruption in your sleep cycle.

In summary, taking a look at just how many things can affect our sleep cycles can be intimidating. There’s so much to consider, so many factors that go into getting the best night’s sleep possible. The good thing is that many of these disruptions can be controlled with the proper knowledge and a healthy awareness of how your lifestyle habits work.

From there, you may learn that certain aspects are more important than you once thought, and get in the habit of putting better practices into place. Good luck on your quest for a better night’s rest!