They’re invasive, relentless, and can make bedtime a scary time. These monsters aren’t grotesque figures hiding under the bed like the ones frequently portrayed in horror/thriller movies. They’re the real contributing factors to sleep disorders like insomnia, an epidemic that affects over 17 million Americans daily. Here are 4 types of Sleep Monsters you should seek to avoid:
4 Sleep Monsters that Are Stealing Your Sleep
1. Bad Habits
Habits can be a major contributor to the quality of your life. What you do habitually is what makes you who you are as an individual. There are many common bad habits that may seriously hinder your ability to achieve quality sleep. Some of these bad habits include staying up late watching TV, playing video games or browsing the Internet and drinking caffeine or alcohol before going to bed. These habits will often lead to a visit from a second sleep monster…
2. Worry
In order to sleep, your mind and body need to be able to enter a state of rest. Worrying keeps your mind active and thoughts racing, which can exhaust you and keep you awake. This can cause excessive stress and difficulties with mood regulation. Many people describe the feeling of being trapped inside their own heads while lying in bed and periodically checking the clock. Before they know it, the sun is coming up and they haven’t slept a wink.
3. Light/Seasonal
The sun, and light, in general, are big factors that could be stealing your sleep. Sometimes the factors that keep you awake aren’t internal and are out of your control. For instance, environmental factors like location and time of year can cause an imbalance of how much sun you get, which may affect the quality of your sleep. Getting less sunlight during the day can reduce melatonin, the main sleep hormone.
4. Muscle Movements
The last sleep monster is a physical one. The same way worrying can prevent your mind from attaining a state of calm, physical movement can also keep your mind from being able to turn off at night. Restless leg syndrome is one example of how muscle movements can lead to insomnia.
The scary truth is that insomnia can lead to other serious problems. Sleep is critical to the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of our lives. Without an adequate amount of sleep (it’s recommended you get 7 to 9 hours each night), you’re setting yourself up for a host of physical and mental issues.
So how can you avoid these sleep monsters and overcome insomnia for good? BrainMD offers a comprehensive sleep course to help guide you through your sleep challenges.
Learn More About How to Overcome Insomnia
Many people treat insomnia or other sleep issues by taking prescription medications. In some cases, these medications are helpful and necessary. In other instances, they can be toxic, addictive, and create new problems. At BrainMD, we believe in finding the best solutions while taking the least toxic route possible.
The Overcoming Insomnia course through Amen University can provide you with the knowledge and tools needed to manage your unique sleep challenges. In the 21 lessons included in this program, our sleep experts share their knowledge and provide guidance through the use of evidence-based cognitive and behavioral strategies to help facilitate the quality of sleep you need and deserve.
These treatment options typically start with a foundation of knowledge. The information contained in the Overcoming Insomnia course will provide you with the knowledge you need to optimize your treatment.
If you currently take prescription medications, our experts can help to ensure you’re not using any substances that can disrupt your sleep. If you already use calming strategies and natural supplements, this course will help guide you toward a natural treatment that will help you get a restful night’s sleep.
What You Will Learn in the Course:
Understand the essentials of proper sleep stages for our brain
Identify possible contributing factors to insomnia and sleep issues
How to practice evidence-based sleep strategies
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia
How to maintain better sleep hygiene for the rest of your life
Take action and start today with a free lesson from the Overcoming Insomnia course where Dr. Creado discusses what good sleep actually means and how it affects your health and well-being. Enroll in the Amen University: Overcoming Insomnia course today!
Want a sneak peak of the course?
Enjoy the first lesson for FREE when you sign up here.
I usually use my cellphone like watching youtube videos before going to sleep and after hours using, I find it hard to sleep. So I researched then find out that I should not use or expose to a cellphone or computer like 2 hours before going to sleep. Thanks for this helpful information.
Lori
4 years ago
I always look at my phone In bed and watch tv up until it’s time to Go to sleep! Thanks for the advice, I stopped looking at screens a half hour before bed and have been having great results! Thank you for what you do!
Oh thanks for this topic! It is very interesting to read about the problem from this point of view. Especially when it’s a daily problem for me. There are 4 monsters here – threats to our sleep. Now I will definitely start to study more materials about insomnia and dreams. I want to adjust my biological clock and sleep rhythms. Your article got me thinking about this problem.
I usually use my cellphone like watching youtube videos before going to sleep and after hours using, I find it hard to sleep. So I researched then find out that I should not use or expose to a cellphone or computer like 2 hours before going to sleep. Thanks for this helpful information.
I always look at my phone In bed and watch tv up until it’s time to Go to sleep! Thanks for the advice, I stopped looking at screens a half hour before bed and have been having great results! Thank you for what you do!
Oh thanks for this topic! It is very interesting to read about the problem from this point of view. Especially when it’s a daily problem for me. There are 4 monsters here – threats to our sleep. Now I will definitely start to study more materials about insomnia and dreams. I want to adjust my biological clock and sleep rhythms. Your article got me thinking about this problem.