WELLNESS: Why your efforts to improve your sleep may be keeping you awake
Sleep hygiene is one of the first things we reach for when we battle to get to bed. Yet, it is often undoing our coping with sleep loss that makes the biggest difference.
Sleep hygiene, a term used to describe pre-bedtime habits like avoiding coffee, screen time, and exercise, is often the first line of defense against sleep loss. However, research shows that sleep hygiene alone may not be enough to alleviate insomnia and sleep disturbances.
Good sleepers may find that an evening routine of coffee, TV, and brushing teeth doesn't impact their ability to fall asleep, while those with insomnia often have a rigorous pre-sleep routine. This paradox suggests that sleep hygiene may be undoing the root cause of sleep loss.
Instead of relying on sleep hygiene, it may be more effective to address the underlying cause of sleep disturbances. This could involve examining daytime habits that bring stress or anxiety into the bedroom, as well as how one responds to exhaustion. It's essential to recognize that insomnia often stems from chronic stress and poor coping mechanisms rather than a lack of effort.
By tackling the root cause of insomnia outside the bedroom, individuals may find that the act of lying in bed becomes more enjoyable rather than a desperate attempt to combat sleeplessness.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
