5 Everyday Things Keeping You From Good Sleep

How did you feel when you woke up this morning?

If your answer is anything other than "refreshed," maybe you should take a closer look at your sleep quality, said Michael Decker, Ph.D., an associate professor at Georgia State University and spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

"We should feel good when we wake up, not tired and exhausted," Decker told HuffPost. "That may indicate that something is happening during sleep that we're not aware of."

Sometimes it's not just an issue of not getting enough sleep -- it's a matter of getting good quality sleep, Decker said. Poor sleep quality has been linked in studies to increased inflammation (which can lead to heart disease and stroke), high blood pressure, and increased blood glucose levels and insulin resistance among people with Type 2 diabetes. Getting good, quality sleep -- on the other hand -- is linked with a longer life, PsychCentral reported.

Sleep quality "is important -- it's not not just the duration of sleep, but the quality that determines health outcomes," he said. "We feel better when we sleep for the right amount of time. That's the foundation of where to start."

Take a look at some everyday factors that could be impacting how well you sleep.

Comments

[awilcox]

08:14 PM on 12/17/2011

Great article. I thought all five things listed were good factors at why people can't get sleep. I learned a couple new things on how to improve sleep and what to tell people who are dealing with insomnia.

http://HowCanIGetSleep.com

[CutisClinics]

06:53 AM on 12/05/2011

Fantastic post.Five basic things which can be good for your sleep.I really enjoyed and gain lots of knowledge about this post.

http://www.cutislaser.com

[marie phd]

12:46 PM on 11/05/2011

If I can't sleep or sleep poorly its usually because I am not getting enough work done. So I get up work for an hour or so and then sleep.

[OutAtFirst]

11:03 PM on 11/04/2011

Kids, especially teenagers.

[jf12]

12:42 PM on 11/04/2011

In the interest of protecting HuffPost from angry mobs, I point out that the first slide Loneliness depicts a young child comfortable on verboten soft bedding. The child should instead be forced to lie strictly face up, uncomfortable on a stern hard smooth surface.

[psridgell]

08:15 PM on 11/03/2011

The only reason I can't sleep is they won't give me good drugs like my mom had in the '60's, those would knock you into the dirt, and she lived a long long time.

[dragondancer1814]

08:10 PM on 11/03/2011

I know all about the night shift problem-I used to work as a security guard. Night shift was the worst because of trying to catch up on sleep during the daytime, especially when I was sharing a townhouse with my two diurnal friends. When you work nights and your roommates work days, it makes for a difficult time trying to sleep. After I got married, my husband and I spent the first month of our marriage living with his mom and stepdad (the apartment we were going to move into fell through at the last minute, and we couldn't find another place in time for the wedding). It's hard to sleep off a night shift when your room is right next to the sunroom/patio where everybody spends their daytime hours and your MIL is a soap opera addict. You don't just need night shades-you also need earplugs then!

[Sulk]

01:48 PM on 11/03/2011

The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get to the office.

[Primesuspect]

01:43 PM on 11/03/2011

Testing 1 2 3

[Primesuspect]

01:42 PM on 11/03/2011

Can't believe people allow their animals to even sleep near them - much less with them. Maybe that relates to the loneliness, but my gosh, go make some human friends.

[GOODDOC1]

06:32 PM on 11/03/2011

I like my Furrball a lot better than some humans I know! He can sleep anywhere he wants to. Ever try to convince a cat not to get up on the bed? I live in a studio apt., so it's not like I could keep him out!

[Primesuspect]

09:08 PM on 11/03/2011

Well, I know he deeply loves you, too. Just keep him in his favorite kitty food, and he'll keep on loving you.

[Dave009]

07:11 PM on 11/03/2011

I have an oriental shorthair cat and even if I wanted to, I couldn't put him out in another room cause he is the most spoiled pet ever. He would meow nonstop till I open that door. So just because some people sleep with their pets, it's not just cause they are lonely for companionship.

[Primesuspect]

09:06 PM on 11/03/2011

You people are too funny. I have a friend who broke off her relationship with her family because they didn't want her to bring her dog on the family vacation. She's now alienated from them. Hope Rover will be there for her when she really needs him (job loss, serious illness, etc.)

[jenn210830]

10:37 AM on 11/03/2011

good to know i have my thermostat settings for optimal sleep ; ) 66 at night during the winter, and 71 during the night for summer

[bioShell]

10:20 PM on 11/02/2011

My dog sleeps on my bed, while I sleep on the floor. That's ok, I don't like that bed anyway.

[Sixgun Blazing]

10:02 PM on 11/02/2011

I noticed one thing in south Philly. It was truly hard to get to sleep with the gun shots ringing through the streets, then all the sirens that came afterwards.

[lilbit4368]

09:45 PM on 11/02/2011

I have two reasons for not sleeping or being able to stay asleep.
1. husband snoring
2. baby still gets up at night

[jenn210830]

10:39 AM on 11/03/2011

pssh, i have a 4 yr old that still gets up at night. At least once a night around 1-3 in the AM im half asleep walking him back to his bed. sigh, i dont think i'll ever get 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep again.

[GOODDOC1]

06:33 PM on 11/03/2011

Maybe between ages 8 and 12 -- after that, not until they're all off to college!

[lilbit4368]

07:16 PM on 11/07/2011

Mine is 2 1/2 so I understand. He has sleep apnea. I agree about the never getting any sleep. My oldest is 25 followed by 8 years old and then 3 years ago I lost my mind and ended up pregnant (SURPRISE) AARP sponsored my pregnancy LOL.

[Primesuspect]

01:44 PM on 11/03/2011

Send the husband to another room and/or ask him to get up with baby on certain nights - especially if you both work. You're exhausted. He has plenty of energy to pay attention to women at the office.

[Matt Chernesky]

08:26 PM on 11/02/2011

Random things wake me up at night. I have no idea what they are.

It stinks. D;

[LosDiablos]

01:08 PM on 11/03/2011

Same here. Random hallucinations. Maybe I just need a new crack pipe. It wouldn't be the crack causing it.