{"id":1598,"date":"2015-07-08T09:00:38","date_gmt":"2015-07-08T13:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amerisleep.com\/blog\/?p=1598"},"modified":"2023-10-09T15:16:09","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T22:16:09","slug":"sleep-all-night-naturally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amerisleep.com\/blog\/sleep-all-night-naturally\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn How to Sleep All Night Long Naturally, Without Waking Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

You might think having difficulty sleeping is just a part of getting older. With a never-ending to-do list, increased stress, and the advent of new aches and pains that seemingly pop up out of nowhere, it could feel inevitable\u2014and maybe even normal or expected\u2014that you\u2019ll have trouble nodding off at night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Except, it actually isn\u2019t normal at all. It\u2019s true that countless Americans struggle with getting the recommended seven to eight hours of nightly shuteye. But often, having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep is the result of a series of lifestyle choices that snowball together to yield night after night of tossing and turning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over time, that can add up to all kinds of problems. According to the <\/span>American Academy of Sleep Medicine<\/span>, chronic sleep disruption can cause fatigue, trouble concentrating or remembering, moodiness, low motivation or energy, and an increased risk for errors or accidents. Regularly skimping on sleep can also lead to depression, high blood pressure, and weight gain.<\/span><\/p>\n

So how can you nip your sleep problems in the bud before they end up wrecking your health\u2014and your life? Here\u2019s what you need to know for how to sleep<\/a> through the night naturally and wake up refreshed in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reasons You Wake Up At Night<\/h2>\n

There are all kinds of things that can disrupt your sleep. It\u2019s not uncommon to get struck with a bout of short-term insomnia<\/a> in the face of major stress, illness, or severe pain. Certain medications, an uncomfortable sleep<\/a> environment, or changes to your normal sleep schedule (like jet lag or a different work schedule) can make it harder to nod off, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

The good news is that once those situations clear up, you\u2019ll probably be able to get back to sleeping easy. But if those issues stick around\u2014like in the case of depression or anxiety, chronic stress, or chronic pain\u2014your insomnia might take on a life of its own and stick around long term.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sleeping trouble can be the result of some medical issues, also, like asthma, allergies, hyperthyroidism, or acid reflux. And of course, sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea or <\/span>restless legs syndrome<\/span><\/a> are other common culprits.<\/span><\/p>\n

In those cases, it\u2019s usually a matter of finding a solution to the root of the problem before you\u2019re able to truly achieve deep, restful sleep. If you know that you\u2019re dealing with a chronic health issue and suspect that it\u2019s affecting your sleep, or if your insomnia persists even after improving your lifestyle, talk with your doctor. Together, you can figure out a plan to manage your condition more effectively\u2013and in turn, make sleep easier to come by.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Issues with Sleeping Pills<\/h2>\n

If you spend any time watching TV, you might think the answer to your sleepless nights lay in a pill. And while the CDC reports that roughly 4% of Americans do use prescription sleep aids, the meds can lead to side effects including headache, muscle ache, constipation, dry mouth, daytime sleepiness, trouble concentrating, dizziness, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, you might not feel much better than if you had stayed up half the night. While prescription (or over-the-counter) sleeping pills may seem like a quick fix when you’re having trouble sleeping, it\u2019s easy to build up a tolerance to their sedative effects. Over time, it\u2019s also common to become dependent on sleep medications, which saps your confidence in your body\u2019s ability to sleep and can make insomnia worse. As a result, most doctors and sleep specialists only recommend taking them for a few weeks, tops.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is why consistently practicing good sleep hygiene is so important. It\u2019s sort of like trying to lose weight. You can try a crash diet in an effort to drop 10 pounds in a week\u2014and you might get results. But in order to keep that weight off and reap the long-term health benefits, you need to make permanent changes to the way you eat that you can sustain for the rest of your life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Striving for a Consistent Sleep Cycle<\/h2>\n

Show of hands if you\u2019ve ever done the following: Stayed up super late and\/or had trouble falling asleep during the week, only to feel exhausted when it\u2019s time to wake up for work. Once the weekend hits, you\u2019re so zonked that you end up sleeping until noon. When it\u2019s time to go to bed at a reasonable hour on Sunday night, you\u2019re not tired.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all fallen victim to the weekday\/weekend snooze shift\u2014but the constant schedule change and effort to catch up on missed sleep is destroying your chances for a solid night of quality shuteye. Need proof?<\/span><\/p>\n

When <\/span>U.S. and British researchers<\/span><\/a> put healthy volunteers on a cycle of 33 hours awake followed by 10 hours of sleep for 21 days, the volunteers suffered even though they had longer sleep time to make up for the extra time awake. Although the \u201ccatch up sleep\u201d seemed to restore the volunteers\u2019 performance for the first few hours after waking, as the study period wore on, the volunteers\u2019 reaction time slowed and they developed more trouble concentrating.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Making<\/div>\n

\u201cMaking sleep a priority and considering sleep to be a significant component to your health and well being is a good start [to sleeping all night],\u201d added, Lucy Wolfe, pediatric sleep consultant and owner of <\/span>Sleep Matters<\/span><\/a>. Establish an appropriate bedtime that allows you to get enough sleep to feel well-rested when you wake up, said Wolfe. For most people, the prime bedtime for getting a full night\u2019s sleep is between 10 pm and 11 pm, she added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Experts like Wolfe know that your body needs consistency\u2014not endless hours of being awake coupled with occasional long bouts of sleep\u2014to maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle and function at your best. To avoid the fate of those sleep-deprived volunteers, it\u2019s essential to follow a sleep routine<\/a> and make an effort to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day of the week (including weekends).<\/span><\/p>\n

Like a puppy who learns that he gets his walk every morning at 7:30, your body will adapt to your new schedule. You\u2019ll start to feel tired at bedtime, and might even get to a point where you wake up on time without your alarm clock. Sure, it might sound crazy now\u2014but it can happen!<\/span><\/p>\n

Make Exercise a Priority for Better Sleep<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve ever spent the day doing absolutely nothing in front of the TV, you know that by late afternoon, you usually end up feeling even more sluggish than you did when you first plopped down on the couch. And yet, it\u2019s usually pretty difficult to fall asleep at night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Experts have long known that active people tend to sleep better<\/a> than their sedentary counterparts. In a\n