If restless nights have become a problem for you and you always wake up feeling tired, there is a chance you might be able to fix this situation. Many of us do certain things during the way we do not even realize and this can cause our sleep to be problematic.

Whether you have been dealing with insomnia for a while or you have just recently noticed a change in your sleeping schedule, there are a few things you can try. Here are some mistakes you can avoid doing that might have been causing you to lose your sleep.

1. You do not have a set wake-up time

One of the mistakes many younger people make is not having a set wake-up time during the week. When you are in college and unemployed, it can be difficult to find the motivation to wake up early every single day. The same applies to freelancers and other people who have jobs that do not require them to have a standard waking time every day.

This can be an issue for your sleeping habits as it can mess with your circadian rhythms and not help you get any rest while you sleep. Most people who experience this can sleep way past the regular 8-hour window and still feel exhausted upon waking up and during the day.

The best way to improve this is by setting a certain hour for waking up every day. No matter how tired you are, you need to push yourself to get out of bed. After a couple of days, you will start getting used to this and you might start sleeping earlier since you will be much more tired.

2. You sleep too long during the weekend

Another common problem that causes people to lose sleep during the week is getting too much rest during the weekend. While you might just want to lie in bed and nap through your Sunday, this will not be a good choice for your sleeping schedule.

Finding the motivation to get out of bed when you are not busy can be challenging. Getting more rest during the weekend though will make it nearly impossible to wake up on the necessary time on Monday. Therefore, it is important that you honor your alarm even during the weekend.

The issue is that your circadian rhythm is getting disrupted and that means that your body loses track of its sleeping schedule. Going to sleep and waking up at around the same time every day is the best thing you can do in order to help your body get better quality sleep every day of the week.

3. You are having coffee later in the day

While coffee or two in the morning might be the perfect thing to kick-start your days, having coffee later on during the day can be an issue. Caffeine has long-lasting effects that can impact your sleep and no matter how tired you get, you might not be able to rest because of that single coffee in the evening.

From professional writers or other freelancers to students who write their essays in the evenings, coffee can be a big helper. If you also tend to meet up with friends for coffee close to your bedtime, you might want to skip caffeinated beverages after 4 pm. You also need to keep in mind that coffee is not the only thing that can keep you twisting and turning at night.

Non-herbal tea also contains a smaller but still significant amount of caffeine which can still make you lose your sleep.  So, next time you go out for coffee in the evening, you can choose a juice or an herbal tea instead of a caffeinated drink.

4. You are exercising right before bed

While this is not something that affects everyone, some people have reported that exercising too close to their bedtime can cause them to lose sleep. This can happen mainly because your body temperature goes up and your nervous system is stimulated, so you end up feeling more awake and alert.

When we go to sleep our body temperature tends to drop and exercising before bed can delay this from happening. While there are some people who might not see any effect, there are others who will struggle with falling asleep after a workout.

One thing you can try doing is scheduling your workouts so they are at least two hours before your bedtime. If you have the time, it would even be a good idea to try exercising in the morning instead of at night. Your body will find the extra stimulation helpful when trying to wake up and you will be able to get a good night’s sleep more easily.

5. You are going to sleep hungry

Whether you are on a diet, trying intermittent fasting, or simply don’t feel like eating in the evenings, there is a chance that you are not sleeping well because of your hunger. Recent studies have shown that being hungry during the night can cause us to wake up and not get good quality sleep.

This is based on the way two hormones work; Ghrelin stimulates hunger while leptin sends signals that our bodies are satisfied. Scientists support that, when our body produces enough leptin to suppress the production of ghrelin, we can feel satisfied enough to go to sleep.

The best way to overcome this mistake is by eating a small snack sometime before you sleep, so you can achieve this hormonal balance. A small bowl of cereal with milk, a toast or some fruit can all be good snacks to help you sleep soundly through the night.

6. You stare at your phone screen for too long

Most of us tend to take our phones with us to bed. Whether you watch videos before you sleep, text your friends, or even check your alarm before you dose off, the blue light from your screen can make you lose sleep.

Our eyes are not good at blocking this type of light. What blue lights do is essentially prevent our bodies from producing melatonin, which is a hormone that helps us feel sleepy. Along with your phone, the television, computer monitor and other LED light sources produce blue light that can disturb your sleep.

The best thing you can do in order to prevent this from happening is to turn off your blue-light-emitting devices before you go to sleep. If that is not easy to do, you can install certain apps that filter the blue lights from your devices or you can invest in a pair of blue-light-blocking glasses.

Improving your sleep schedule easily

Going to sleep early and enjoying a rested night might be difficult for some people, but there are a few different things you can try in order to improve it. All of the mistakes mentioned in the article can easily be turned around and improved.

The main thing you can aim for is waking up around the same time every day, no matter how tired you are. This will help you feel tired enough to go to sleep early and it can allow you to start fixing your sleeping schedule once again.

Call Alaska Sleep Clinic today

@ 907-770-9104

for your free sleep assessment.

Author’s bio. Daniela McVicker is a psychologist and family counselor. She is also a freelance writer and a contributor to Essayguard. Her passion is writing about leading a healthy family life and helping people enjoy their lives to the fullest.