To summarize the past couple of week’s worth of blog posts on the subject of insomnia and why you might not be getting a good night’s rest, there are seven primary contributing factors that could be to blame. These include stress (the number one biggest contributor), chronic illness or pain (another biggie), poor nutrition and digestion (too much fat and sugar and not enough protein), over-consumption of stimulants like caffeine, sugar and alcohol (especially late at night), a poor sleep environment (too much light, noise, or heat in the room), poor sleep posture (sleeping on your stomach or on your back or side without the right type of pillow to support your spine) and a disruption to your natural circadian rhythm cycle (usually due to a time zone change or a major change in the hours you work).
Of course, there are other factors as well – like hormonal imbalances or hormonal changes in women (the ones associated with the onset of perimenopause and menopause come to mind). In fact, 67% of American women surveyed in the National Sleep Foundation poll said they regularly have trouble sleeping. Discovering what lies beneath your insomnia can be confusing, but for many women, it often comes down to hormonal imbalance. Insomnia is often one of the first signs of perimenopause – a time when many women find themselves waking throughout the night — or unable to drop off to sleep at all. Much of this has to do with temperature regulation and the fact that as we age, we spend less time in deep sleep anyway, which makes us more sensitive to disturbances. But even a minor increase in body temperature can wake us up.
And then there’s the discomfort due to any temporary illness like the flu or other conditions that bring about physical and/or emotional stress that can leave us congested, anxious, achy and extremely uncomfortable, especially at night.
Whatever the cause or causes of your sleep troubles may be, identifying the real source can help you determine whether the problem is transient, short-term, chronic in nature, or the result of a serious sleep disorder. That is the only way to find the right natural solution to address it – hopefully for good.
Stay tuned over the coming weeks as I cover in detail different natural solutions for the main factors named above, that may be interfering with your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
