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Almost everyone experiences difficulty sleeping at some point in their life. Part of being human is experiencing worry and stress and occasionally this will lead to poor sleep. We know that poor sleep hygiene and things like heavy meals, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime all contribute to less restful sleep. Keep this in mind on sleepless nights.
There are three important stages of sleep–light sleep, deep sleep, and dream or REM sleep. Light sleep is the doorway to both deep sleep and dream sleep. Individuals usually spend about half of the night in some form of light sleep, a quarter of sleep in deep sleep, and the remaining quarter in dream sleep. The stages of sleep ebb and flow in a predictable pattern during healthy sleep. You spend about half of the night in some form of light sleep but this sleep is not very restorative. If you are spending a disproportionate amount of time in this stage this may make you feel like you aren’t sleeping at all 1.
Remember that our bodies have a primary drive for sleep and that at some point it is inevitable. Your perception of your sleep quality may not be reflective of your sleep reality 1. Read our blog for more tips to help you reframe occasional sleep difficulty.
If you have sleep problems several nights a week for at least 3 months that negatively impact your waking hours it might be time to talk to your primary care doctor or a sleep specialist. There are serious sleep conditions like sleep apnea that can be detrimental to your long-term health 1.
1.Winter WC. The sleep solution: Why your sleep is broken and how to fix it. 1st ed. Berkley; 2017.
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