5 Facts You Should Know About Restlessness

A good night of sleep may be the most important factor when it comes to healing the body (1, 2, 3). Tossing and turning all night is a common problem for many people.  But often times, it can be traced to very specific reasons that can be rectified.  Once you get to the root of the problem, then you can concentrate solely on how to stay asleep.  You should be able to enjoy sleep for the entire night without being up and down every so often.  Here are just a few of the reasons why some people are up at night:

Too Much Caffeine

It may seem obvious to you as you read this, but you may not realize just how much caffeine you consume throughout the course of one day.  Since you are ingesting a stimulant, your body will become wound up and will take a significant amount of time to calm down before bedtime.  Even if you have not had any caffeine that day, but usually do consume large amounts, restlessness can still be a problem for you.  Long-term effects of excessive caffeine consumption can take months to overcome and will leave you wide-eyed and awake when the night falls.

Guilty Conscience

If you a worrier, then you may have trouble falling asleep.  But if you have done some things that you may not be proud of that have been harmful either to yourself or others, then certainly a good night’s sleep is not in your future.  If you have not had a chance to get things off your chest before you put head to a pillow for the night, then certainly you are in for a long night.  Letting go of those bad feelings and thoughts will almost always help you to combat restlessness.

Problems at Home or Work

If it feels like people are against you or there are just certain situations out of your control, it is hard to turn in for the night.  Many people either go to bed angry, and end up waking frequently during the night, or they have trouble sleeping overall due to a constant revisiting of all the issues in their personal or professional lives.  Conflict can be a major source of restlessness because it adds stress.  When your body is stressed, it takes much longer for the nervous system and especially the brain to wind down in order to rest.

Uncomfortable Surroundings

Do you try to lie down for a good night of rest and hear the dog barking, the cars honking or that neon sign down the street that just keeps blinking?  Restlessness can result from the fact that your sleeping atmosphere, well, stinks.  Noise and other disruptions can make it extremely difficult to feel settled in at bedtime, causing us to sit up for hours waiting for these interjections to just go away.

Chronic Problem

In many cases, insomnia is seen as a significant medical problem.  Sufferers will never be able to enjoy a night of rest unless they take several steps to cure what ails them.  Other times, it may not be insomnia, but restless leg syndrome, that keeps you up all night.  It is usually best to consult a doctor if your sleeplessness carries on for weeks at a time.

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