3 Reasons It’s Harder to Fall Asleep as You Get Older—and What to Do About It

From realsimple.com

By Ariel Klein

Experts share tips for falling asleep—and staying asleep through the night, plus why it’s so crucial to get enough sleep 

When I was a teenager, sleeping until the early afternoon was effortless—as a matter of fact, I think it was nearly impossible for me to get anything less than 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. But as I got older, I noticed my body would naturally wake itself up at 6:30 a.m., and getting back to sleep was completely hopeless.

Now that I’m in my 30s, my sleep patterns have changed so drastically that “sleeping in” means waking up by 8 a.m., and I’m lucky if I only have to use the bathroom once in the middle of the night. It’s also difficult for me to fall asleep without tossing and turning for at least an hour before finally dozing off. After discussing my own sleep situation with my close friends and family, I learned that these sleep issues are more common than I thought. So I went to two New York–based sleep experts and medical professionals to get a clearer insight about the importance of quality sleep, and how it—and the lack of it—impacts our overall health.

Why It’s So Hard to Fall Asleep—and Stay Asleep

As we get older, there are many reasons why we can’t fall asleep as easily as we used to. To get a better understanding of this familiar topic, we spoke with Janet Kennedy, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist at NYC Sleep Doctor who specializes in treating sleep disorders.

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Technology

“One of the biggest reasons people have difficulty falling asleep is because of technology,” Kennedy says. “We’re very much attached to our phones and other devices, which can be distracting when trying to go to bed each night. A great way to stay off of your device is by keeping it in a different room before getting into bed.”

While I’m certainly guilty of late-night scrolling and online shopping from time to time, I’ve noticed that even the blaring blue light from my TV has begun to impact the quality of my sleep.

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Stress

In addition to digital disruption, Kennedy points out another reason we can’t turn off our brains at night: stress. “With busy schedules, careers, caring for family, and so on, it’s overwhelming to process everything during the day,” she says. “So when our heads finally hit the pillow at night, we can’t help but think about all of the things we still need to do.”

According to The Philips 2019 global sleep survey, worry and stress were the number-one lifestyle factors cited for impacting participants’ ability to fall asleep and/or sleep well. Another survey conducted by Well+Good found the same thing: Participants named stress (over everything from money to work to family and relationship issues) as the leading cause for their sleeplessness.

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Overheating

Overheating, or night sweats, is another huge sleep inhibitor for many adults, especially women. A recent sleep habits survey by sleepwear and intimates brand Soma found, unsurprisingly, that about half of participants claim to have difficulty falling and/or staying asleep, with 57 percent pointing fingers at a restless mind—or being unable to turn off their brains at night. But in addition to the familiar stress factor, an overwhelming 36 percent of respondents also said their sleep suffers due to being too hot or sweating in the night. Any number of common factors, including fluctuating hormones, blood sugar levels, and certain medications, can lead to night sweats. In fact, Soma’s survey revealed that being hot is a more common sleep issue than snoring (which only about 24 percent complained about).

How to Get More (and Better) Sleep

Credit: Getty Images

The first step to improving your quality of sleep is to make sure your bedroom is comfortable, calming, and serene. “Your bedroom should be a place you can retreat to at the end of an exhausting day,” Kennedy says. “If your room is cluttered or chaotic, it’s going to impact how you sleep.”

She also mentions that creating a bedtime routine can be extremely beneficial. “Try to create a 30-minute ritual before bed like reading a book, journaling, or meditation.” (We’re also fans of taking a warm bath or shower an hour before bed, or try a gentle, nightly stretching routine to wind down.)

If you’re often woken up from night sweats, it may be worth investing in some temperature-conscious bedding and cooling sleepwear, in addition to keeping your bedroom at a chill, National Sleep Foundation–recommended 67 degrees to promote Zzzs.

Why Getting Enough Sleep Is Essential to Your Overall Health

For children and adults, getting the right amount of good quality sleep is imperative for both mental and physical health: Your mental health, mood, immune system, memory, focus, productivity, energy, appetite, heart health, and even life longevity can all falter without adequate nightly rest. The general sleep recommendation for adults, according to The National Sleep Foundation, is between 7 and 9 hours per night, but it can differ from person to person.

“People with chronic sleep disorders are at higher risk of developing health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and depression,” says Edward Fisher, MD, PhD, MPH, a member of the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at NYU School of Medicine. “This means that some of the diseases that cause sleep disorders can become worse from poor quality or quantity of sleep in a vicious cycle.”

If you feel like you may have a sleep disorder like chronic insomnia or sleep apnoea, Dr. Fisher suggests discussing it with your doctor. “He or she may be able to begin treatment, or, if not, can recommend you to specialized sleep centres,” he says. “They have the advanced testing equipment and medical professionals needed to accurately diagnose and treat a variety of sleep disorders.”

https://www.realsimple.com/why-its-hard-for-adults-to-fall-asleep-12073737

The Military Sleep Method Claims It Works In 2 Minutes, But There’s A Catch

From mensjournal.com

By Philip Uwaoma

The viral “military method” promises sleep in 2 minutes. But does science back it? We break down the technique, its limits, and what actually works

The so-called military method is a relaxation technique widely claimed to help people fall asleep in about two minutes. The popular version reportedly comes from Lloyd “Bud” Winter’s 1981 book Relax and Win: Championship Performance, which described techniques associated with military and athletic performance. The catch is important: there is no strong clinical evidence showing that this exact sequence reliably puts people to sleep in two minutes.

Still, that does not make the technique useless. It simply means the two-minute claim should be treated as a target, not a medical guarantee.

The method works by attacking one of the biggest enemies of sleep: physical and mental arousal. Instead of lying there thinking, Why am I still awake?, you deliberately work through your body and breathing.

                                     Can You Really Fall Asleep in 2 Minutes? The 'Military Method' Put to the Test.     tongpatong / Getty Images

How the Technique Actually Works

Get comfortable and progressively relax your body. Start with your face, consciously releasing tension from your forehead, eyelids, jaw and tongue. Drop your shoulders and let your arms become heavy.

Then move downward. Relax your chest, abdomen, thighs, calves and feet. The instruction is not to force your muscles into relaxation, but to stop actively holding tension.

Next comes breathing. Take slow, comfortable breaths and allow your body to settle. Finally, spend roughly 10 seconds visualizing something deliberately boring and peaceful, such as lying in a quiet field or floating somewhere calm.

The underlying logic has more scientific credibility than the two-minute headline. Relaxation techniques can reduce physiological arousal, while slow breathing can help shift attention away from racing thoughts. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, also uses relaxation and strategies designed to reduce the anxious mental struggle surrounding sleep.

Practice Beats the Stopwatch

Here is where the internet version gets a little too cinematic.

If someone has spent 45 minutes scrolling, checking messages, drinking caffeine late in the evening and then climbs into bed expecting a military breathing trick to override everything, the method is unlikely to perform miracles.

Sleep pressure, circadian timing, caffeine, stress, light exposure and the bedroom environment all influence how easily someone falls asleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends behavioural approaches such as CBT-I as first-line treatment for chronic insomnia rather than relying on relaxation tricks alone.

So, use the military method as a wind-down technique, not a guaranteed two-minute knockout. Practice it consistently when you’re already preparing for sleep, keep expectations modest, and avoid turning the stopwatch into another source of stress. If insomnia persists for weeks or is affecting daytime functioning, that is a much better reason to seek professional help than trying increasingly elaborate internet sleep hacks.

https://www.mensjournal.com/health/the-military-sleep-method-claims-it-works-in-2-minutes-but-theres-a-catch

Life stress waking you up at 3 a.m.? A sleep doctor shares 3 steps to beat 'adjustment insomnia'

From tomsguide.com

By Ruth Jones

Neurologist and author Dr. Pedram Navab reveals the simple routine he uses to calm stress and skip 3 a.m. wake-ups 

The end of summer is a stressful time for many of us, and if you’re suddenly waking up in the middle of the night, staring at the ceiling, you’re not alone. Many of us on the Tom’s Guide Sleep Team are in the same boat, waking up at 3 a.m. thanks to impending back-to-school routines and stresses, and other big life changes.

Neurologist and sleep medicine specialist Dr. Pedram Navab knows just what it’s like to live with broken sleep at night—a near-fatal car accident, caused by his own extreme fatigue, inspired him to dedicate his career to solving chronic sleep deprivation and insomnia.

According to Dr. Navab, author of the forthcoming new book The Alchemy of Sleep, calming stress before bed is the best way to stop waking up through the night. And you don’t need any fancy sleep tech to do it either. Here Dr. Navab reveals the simple yet effective 3-step routine he uses to calm racing thoughts, fall asleep fast, and sleep through until morning.

3-step routine for better sleep

1. Set a consistent wake time

“The most important advice that I give to my patients all the time is to keep a consistent schedule," explains Dr. Navab. "Basically, try to wake up at the same time each morning. Try to go to sleep at the same time each night."

(Image credit: Future)

Routine is the foundation of good sleep. It's even been linked to longer lifespans; a study by Vitality found going to sleep within a set one hour time frame five nights a week was a key indicator of mortality.

"Sleep likes that routine," says Dr. Navab. "That's why we do so well with a sunrise and sunset time. Because our body runs on the circadian rhythm in tune with the natural rhythm of the sun rising and sun setting."

He notes that a set wake up time allows you to "start that rhythm again." So no oversleeping, even when you're dog-tired. By getting up early, you leave plenty of time for sleepy-chemical adenosine to build up. As a result, you're more likely to drop off quickly the next night.

"Keeping that consistent schedule as much as you can is probably the biggest factor in helping you sleep better,” explains Dr. Navab.

2. Write down 3 things from your day before bed

Find yourself waking up at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat over your to-do list? Or unable to go to bed until you've finished that one last task? Dr. Navab has a fix.

"I tell [my patients], write down one thing that went well today, one thing that could have gone better," he advises.

There's a reason why your thoughts start to race when you climb into bed. Without the hustle of day-to-day life to keep you busy, your brain is free to recall all the anxieties normally kept bubbling under the surface.

"At night, when you're lying alone, it's you and your brain, and you just start thinking," he explains. "So that's why I like the idea of writing one thing that went well, one thing that went badly, things that you could have done differently, to set that day apart. And the next day is the new day."

He describes it as the "tabula rasa" — a blank slate.

3. Get sunlight first thing

Your alarm's gone off and even though you're tired, you know if you want to keep up your new routine, you need to get out of bed.

Dr. Navab's final tip is just what's needed to feel fresher on groggy mornings: a little dose of sunshine.

"Try to get out there and get some sun when you wake up in the morning, at least half an hour," he says. "Even on cloudier days, because you're still getting a little bit of light."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

He notes that sunshine in the morning helps "reset your circadian rhythms". This is because light signals to your body clock that it's time to get up, clearing away the fatigue of sleep inertia.

Keeping healthy circadian function helps with sleep "in general", according to Dr. Navab. It's almost like winding up a watch; it keeps your internal body clock ticking along in time.

What is 'adjustment insomnia' — and why might it be behind your poor sleep?

The end of summer often brings with it a change in routine, particularly for parents and children. You have a new schedule to get used to, new routines to learn, and new pressures rearing their head.

As a result, the relaxed sleep you enjoyed all summer is now taking a downturn.

Upheaval can have a negative impact on your sleep, a phenomenon Dr. Navab describes as "adjustment insomnia." (Often known as short-term insomnia or acute insomnia.)

According to the American Medical Association, roughly one-third of Americans will experience acute insomnia in their lifetime. It can be triggered by a range of factors, with stress a frequent cause.

Following Dr. Navab's tips can help you get your sleep back to its best. And set you up with the healthy routine you need to weather the next sleep storm (...it'll be the holidays before you know it.)

When to speak to a doctor about your sleep?

If you've been experiencing long-term sleep deprivation (three months or longer), your sleep has taken a sudden downturn with no obvious cause, or you suspect you're experiencing sleep apnoea, we recommend speaking to a healthcare professional.

https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/sleep/life-stress-waking-you-up-at-3-a-m-a-sleep-doctor-shares-3-steps-to-beat-adjustment-insomnia

These 3 Science-Backed Sleep Habits Could Finally Help You Beat Chronic Insomnia, According to a Harvard Sleep Expert

From mensjournal.com

Reclaim your nights of rest 

There’s nothing more frustrating than feeling exhausted and still not being able to fall asleep. Chronic insomnia affects an estimated 12 percent of Americans, and even occasional struggles with sleep can take a toll on daily focus, mood, recovery, and overall health. In the long term, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to major health concerns like high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Beating insomnia is a topic largely discussed across Reddit threads and on social media, and there’s certainly no shortage of advice when it comes to tips and tricks. But which strategies are actually worth trying? We spoke with Eric Zhou, PhD, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a sleep medicine clinician-researcher, to learn the most overlooked, science-backed ways to improve sleep and beat insomnia.

How to Beat Insomnia

Increase Your Step Count Throughout the Week

“Physical activity has long been associated with improved sleep quality, but many people do not know that increasing the number of steps they take each week by as little as 500 extra steps can make a difference in how you sleep,” Zhou says. “Even in those who are already active, increasing activity further can have additional benefits for one’s sleep.”

By ramping up your overall activity level, you’re pushing your body to burn more energy throughout the day which creates stronger grounds for falling asleep at night. While exercising too close to bedtime may impact sleep quality, getting more overall movement, no matter the means, can help your body establish a healthier sleep-wake rhythm.

Spend Less Time in Bed

Getty Images/Creative Images Lab

In Zhou’s experience, one of the most underrated sleep tips is recognizing that everyone’s needs are different. For many patients, the root of insomnia comes from trying to force themselves to get more sleep to compensate for nights of inadequate rest. While many adults need around seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night to feel restored the next morning, there’s still a considerable number of adults who feel just fine getting six hours of sleep while others may need closer to nine.

“Needing less or more sleep is not always a sign of bad sleep or bad health, we’re just all made differently. If you’re struggling with falling asleep or staying asleep routinely, instead of focusing on trying to spend more time in bed to have the chance of sleeping longer, work on improving the quality of your sleep by gradually spending less time in bed,” Zhou suggests.

Make Your Daily Routine Predictable

“The most overlooked sleep habit that works for beating insomnia is the power of consistency. Our body craves predictability and feeding our circadian rhythm with a healthy dose of consistency is a powerful remedy for insomnia,” Zhou says.

Our body’s clock is set by regulated cues called “zeitgebers,” which includes everything from sunlight in the morning to meal timing and an evening routine before bed. Predictability may seem boring to some, but the more predictable these cues are, the more consistently our body learns when to sleep and when to wake.

Experts

• Eric Zhou, PhD, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a sleep medicine clinician-researcher

https://www.mensjournal.com/health/harvard-sleep-expert-3-science-backed-sleep-habits-to-help-you-beat-chronic-insomnia