If you are like other millions of Americans, you have trouble sleeping. Unfortunately, many of us just cannot get the full and restorative eight hours of sleep that we need each night. This can be due to a multitude of reasons, including medical ones. There are some reasons, however, that you may be able to fix on your own without a doctor’s help. Here are a few things that may be preventing you from sleeping the way you need to.
- Blue Light. Many electronic devices now come with something called a blue light filter. This is because blue light, which things like tablets, televisions, and cell phones give off, disrupt the natural circadian rhythm and keep us awake. While using these blue light filters are good, it really is best to make sure that you don’t use electronic devices or your television for at least an hour before you are ready to go to bed. Take a shower, read a book, or even just lay down and relax from your day for an hour instead and see how much better you sleep.
- Pillows. Pillows, although comfortable, may be the reason you aren’t getting enough sleep. Now we aren’t saying that you should throw them out, but you may need to get a different one. You should be able to sleep with only one pillow, but it needs to give the proper support. A pillow that doesn’t work for you may hold the head too high or not high enough which can cause neck and back pain, keeping you awake at night.
- Silence/Ambient Noise. The noise level that you have in your bedroom is often something that will keep you awake. Some people cannot sleep when there is a lot of noise and others cannot sleep if it is silent. Try a couple of different noise levels to see what works best for you. There are now websites that you can use to create your own white noise, so be sure to look into them if you do not like silence when you sleep.
Many people do have trouble sleeping, so never worry that you are alone. Come into DiBella Chiropractic and see if an adjustment could help you sleep better. If not, there are dozens of other things we can suggest that you try.
