Category: Sleep Obstacles

By Posted on Posted in Sleep Obstacles

Have you ever had the feeling you were lying awake in bed, only to realize (or be told) you were sound asleep? Many times, we find out because someone tells us. Recently I was hanging out with my mom watching TV when I realized she had zonked out in her recliner. Eyes closed, mouth open, breathing deep and regular and then…there it was…a little light snoring. Oh yeah, she was asleep. She had a pretty good nap too – in the neighborhood of an hour or so. When she came to, she was unconvinced she had been sleeping at all. …

Paradoxical Insomnia: When Your Brain Thinks You’re Awake All Night Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Sleep Obstacles, Stress

Do your worries impair your sleep? It seems like there’s plenty to worry about these days. But is there really that much more to worry about now than people had in times past? Certainly, our standard of living is better than ever. Our homes are spacious and climate controlled. Modern conveniences allow us to spend less time on monotonous and tiring tasks. We live longer than ever and are generally much safer physically than our ancestors. Most of us won’t die of an infected wound or a childhood disease, be threatened by a wild animal, or starve to death in our …

When Worry Impairs Your Sleep Read more »

Counting sheep silhouette over a full moon

By Posted on Posted in Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Obstacles, Uncategorized

Sometimes it seems like caregiving and sleep just don’t go together. When you’re caring for another person, it can feel like there’s not enough time in any 24-hour period to get it all done, much less get any decent amount of sleep. And once you do lie down and try, your brain may be so filled with lists of things you still need to do, it can be tough to relax and let go. Whether it’s a sick child, a spouse with an illness or injury, or an aging or injured parent, we tend to put their needs before our …

Caregiving and Sleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Pain, Sleep Obstacles

    Pain is one of the most difficult things to cope with in life. The fact that pain so often prevents you from sleeping well, or sometimes at all, is a double insult. Researchers have found there is a correlation between lack of adequate sleep and pain tolerance. A 2022 study published in the medical journal Sleep Medicine Reviews states: “Sleep loss leads to increased pain perception in people with and without chronic pain. As sleep is a modifiable factor, improving sleep has potential clinical implications for pain management in individuals with concurrent sleep disturbance and chronic pain.” It …

Binaural Beats, Pain Relief, and Sleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Sleep Obstacles

Have you ever been so exhausted you couldn’t wait to get into bed, but when you finally got there, you were too tired to sleep? It’s unnerving. How could you have been so achingly desperate to get in your bed not 10 minutes ago, could hardly keep your eyes open just getting yourself ready for bed, and now this? Really?? Sleepy and Tired Aren’t the Same Thing Sometimes sleepiness and exhaustion are best friends. They travel together and you’ll often feel both – strongly – at the same time. But not always. We’ve all been sleepy simply because we’re bored, …

Too Tired to Sleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Sleep Obstacles, Stress, Uncategorized

  Have you ever felt too afraid to sleep? Or maybe too anxious or worried to sleep? It’s not a good feeling. So on this scariest of days, it might be a good time to talk about what to do when you’re feeling scared or troubled or agitated and you just can’t fall asleep. One of the most frustrating obstacles to sleep you may encounter is the vicious circle of being too anxious to sleep, so you lose sleep, which makes you less able to deal with or even solve what’s making you anxious in the first place. And around …

Too Afraid to Sleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Sleep Hygiene, Sleep Obstacles

When you were a kid, did your parents ever tell you to “put that book/magazine/video game away and turn off the light?” Do you now hear yourself telling your own kids – or partner – to “put that phone down and go to sleep?” Maybe you’ve been meaning to say it to yourself. I know I have! It’s well-known, at this point in the 21st century, that the blue light emitted by devices like your phone, tablet or even your TV are not best friends with your circadian rhythm. They play games with each other. Sometimes they bicker: 11:30 pm …

Put That Phone Down and Go To Sleep! Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Sleep Obstacles

I’ve been thinking a lot about sleeping in hot weather lately. Actually, I’ve been thinking about hot weather in general lately. You see, it’s the last day of May here in Arizona. I feel like that might be all I need to say about that, but just in case you’re not familiar with our desert temperatures, spring can be hot, leading to summer, which is HOT. Today – as I type this – I have three very nice HVAC technicians replacing my 25-year-old air conditioner with a brand new, high efficiency system. You know what I’m most excited about? Being …

Sleeping in Hot Weather Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Sleep Hygiene, Sleep Obstacles

You probably already suspect it. Maybe you know it without a doubt. Technology could be keeping you from sleeping well. We hear this all the time in the media. We know it’s not in our best interest to stream shows, surf the internet, check email, or scroll through social media before bed. Or worse yet, while lying in bed, expecting to roll over and fall right asleep. To put it like a sleep scientist would, it is not good sleep hygiene. It’s true. If you do those things, you may be hindering your ability to easily fall asleep and get …

Is Technology Keeping You from Sleep? Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Sleep Obstacles, Stress

When your body is tense, it’s really hard to fall asleep. Have you ever been lying in bed – very much not falling asleep – when you realize all your muscles in every part of your body are tensed up? When you realize how rigid you are, you might consciously start commanding each part of your body to let go. Suddenly you realize how tense you were when you feel your body start to sink into your bed instead of lying stiffly atop your mattress. If you’re like me, you might then go through that cycle of realizing you’re tense, …

Sleep Starts with Relaxing Your Body Read more »

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