Life is stressful, my friends, and the anxieties that come with it can impact heavily on your sleep cycle.

And believe me, running on a few hours of sleep a day isn’t a good look. Looking in the mirror can pretty much prove that.

According to studies done by Sleep Renewal, sleep deprivation comes in many forms: waking up and often feeling like you haven’t even slept a wink, struggling to fall asleep and waking up numerous times during the night, and dozing off at awkward or inconvenient times.

Phew. I bet it makes you tired just thinking about it.

So does any of this sound like you?

If it does, you might be one of the millions with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or Upper Airways Resistance Syndrome (UARS). OSA, reports Health24, occurs due to an obstruction or weakness in the airway that results in the obstruction of airflow to the lungs during sleep.

UARS, on the other hand, can be caused by a naturally narrowed air passage, loose fatty tissues of the throat collapsing back into the airway, or the position of the tongue (falling back) during sleep.

In other words, it’s mild snoring that has become far worse.

OSA and UARS can result in unrestorative sleep, and they’re connected to many health concerns such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

Other times, it can come down to poor sleep hygiene.

And no, it’s got nothing to do with how you smell when you’re taking a snooze.

“Sleep hygiene”, explains Skin Online, describes the number of habits that can help improve your quality of rest. If yours is poor, then your behaviour or routines could be keeping you from enjoying a precious eight hours of sleep.

Luckily, Sleep Renewal has five handy tips that’ll help you catch those Zzzs in no time:

1. Don’t nap

Easier said than done, but it’s true. While a short nap can help improve your alertness when you wake up, it’s not a substitute for a good night’s sleep. Avoid napping for too long or too late in the afternoon, or your body will find it hard to settle down during bedtime.

2. Get moving

Doing aerobic exercises for as little as 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference in your sleeping quality. Shake your tail-feathers for a good night’s sleep, but don’t do it too close to bedtime as this can have the opposite effect.

3. Watch what you drink

Do you enjoy a cuppa before you snooze? That could be the reason why you’re struggling to sleep, friend. Caffeine-sensitive sleepers find it hard to take a kip, so avoid the tea or coffee before you snooze. Also avoid too much alcohol, as it can keep you up later in the night when your body starts to process it.

4. Adjust your bedroom habits

Now that you’ve made your bed, you gotta sleep in it. Don’t use it to work on your laptop or anything similar. Rather, let your brain realise that being in bed means it’s time to sleep.

5. Bye bye, screens

We’re all glued to our TV and cellphone screens during the day, but come night time, you need to switch them off. That’s because they emit a particular blue light that’s capable of triggering your brain to slow down its production of melatonin, a kind of sleep hormone.

But if you’re still struggling to catch a good night’s sleep despite improving upon your sleep hygiene habits, you need to consider seeking the assistance of a sleep professional.

Contact Sleep Renewal for a consultation or head down to one of their many branches, and they will make sure to help you get the best restorative sleep you deserve.

Sweet dreams, friends.

[source:health24&skinonline]