When Sleep Apnea is not the Cause

Written by Henry Johnson

In part one of When Sleep Apnea is not the Cause, you read of several reason why you might be having trouble sleeping that has nothing to do with a sleep disorder. For many people, difficulty sleeping is a matter of identifying the culprit and making a few lifestyle changes. For example, people who drink a lot of coffee may want to have the last cup of the day at supper, or switch to decaf at night. As you read on, you will be able to see other potential factors that may be keeping you from getting a deep and restful night’s sleep.

You are what you Eat

You may have a favorite food that you love; but, it may not love you back. When you eat hot or spicy foods, and do not give them time to digest before you retire for the night, you may pay for it in lack of sleep in the morning. When you swallow food, it goes down your esophagus and into your stomach, where acids work to digest the food, sending it on to be absorbed as nutrition or eliminated as waste.

Most of the time, you can get away with eating what you want, and you go on your merry way. But, if you eat too close to bedtime, the little flap that closes to separate your esophagus from your stomach can relax or be pushed open. Then, the harsh digestive juices back up and you can develop a major case of heartburn that makes it impossible to sleep. Sometimes, it can seem as if your chest is on fire. Ouch!

The Family Room

When it is time for bed, does your room become the most popular hangout in the house? Do you have a dog at the foot of the bed, and a couple of kids crammed in the middle? While it is great to make sure your children feel loved and secure, it can also be impossible to get a good night’s sleep. You may need to come up with some sort of plan to move the kids back to their own beds after they fall asleep. Better yet, help them learn to sleep in their own rooms. You may feel bad about it tonight, but you will be a better parent tomorrow.

Where is the Shovel?

Do you have a room that is such a mess that you might need a shovel to clean it out? Not everybody can be a great housekeeper. Martha Stewart you may not be. But, you are less likely to get a good rest, if you are sleeping in a cluttered room.

More or less a psychological issue, it is just hard to rest and rejuvenate, if your room is a mess, and it always feels like you have left something undone. It is even worse, if you have some of that clutter at the bottom of your bed, beside your bed or even on the other side of the bed, if you do not have a partner. It is simply much easier to sleep, if you do not have a room full of undone chores.

Climate Control

While you may be concerned about having a sleep disorder, it may simply be an issue with the thermostat. If it is too hot in the room, you may be sticking to the sheets and feel sticky from head to foot. If it is too cold in the room, even if you have plenty of blankets, you nose may feel like a Popsicle. You might even get the shivers and never be quite warm enough to get to sleep.

While you may feel a little like Goldilocks, it may simply be a matter of getting the temperature in your room to be just right. Even if you want to keep the rest of the house cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer, to save on energy costs, you may want to make sure your bedroom feels great, so you can get to sleep.

Would you Mind!?

Imagine you are lying in bed. Your body is relaxing and you want to go to sleep, but you cannot find the off switch to your mind. You think about what you have to do at work tomorrow, what bills you have to pay, your busy schedule with the kids, and upcoming event, and a trillion other concerns. Your body may be in repose, but your mind is still going 90 miles an hour. You need to leave the day’s concerns on the nightstand and give your thoughts a rest as well.

Well, now you know a few reasons why you might have trouble sleeping. It is not sleep apnea or some other equally frustrating sleep disorder. Most of these ideas are simply a matter of change how you do things, and how you approach life. You need to learn how to sleep and create the right conditions to get the job done.

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