How a Lack of Sleep Is Destroying Your Marriage and What To Do About It

Is your sleep affecting your relationships? Probably, says a new survey from The Harris Poll.

According to this survey, lack of sleep has a negative effect on your relationships, and people who have trouble sleeping argue with their partners more.

Wake up America

A new Wake Up America survey found the far-reaching effects of insomnia on personal relationships and the compounded overall effects on our health.

Four in ten (41%) of people with trouble sleeping (PWTS) say it causes them to argue more with their partner or disrupt their partner’s sleep and their relationship overall.

Lack of Sleep Is a Relationship Stressor

And over half (53%) report their trouble sleeping is an added relationship stressor, with (41%) saying their partner has had to pick up the slack with household chores and nearly a third (31%) saying they have slept in a separate bed.

Trouble sleeping is pervasive and infiltrates quality of life, daily activities, and our families. And it can lead to immobility, as found with the APA that over a quarter of Americans say they are too stressed on most days to function.

What can we do to get a better night’s sleep? There are ways to improve our sleep habits and, in effect, our overall health and well-being.

Routine

Having the same sleep/wake time each day is the most critical factor for sleeping well.

Morning Light

Getting natural light within the first half hour of waking up helps to regulate our cortisol and melatonin hormones, which keep our body’s circadian rhythms in sync.

Get Moving

Daily exercise helps your body relax and sleep better at night. Pick up your pace and aim for 10,000 steps per day!

Curb the Caffeine

Everyone metabolizes caffeine differently, but caffeine’s half-life is generally around five hours. Therefore, half of the caffeine in an 8-ounce cup of coffee will remain in your system five hours later. So, think about that afternoon Cup of Joe because it could affect your sleep later on.

Eat Early

Our digestion starts to slow down in the evening. The later we eat, the more difficult it may be to digest our meal which can lead to indigestion and reflux. Try to finish your meal at least three hours before going to bed.

Go Easy With Alcohol

Even two drinks can contribute to fragmented sleep, leaving you tired and mentally sluggish the next day. Alcohol can disrupt melatonin production, which affects your circadian rhythms.

Wind It Down

We are great at creating regular nighttime routines for kids. Yet why can’t we seem to create successful nighttime routines for ourselves? As adults, we forget how important they are to us too.

Creating a nightly routine helps to signal our body and brain that it is time to unwind. Try taking a warm bath with Epsom salts, reading a book, or journaling. More importantly, find a routine that works best for you.

Disengage

Turn off electronics at least an hour before bed. The blue light emitted from electronic screens can prevent the natural rise in melatonin (your sleep hormone). If you need to be on your electronics, I suggest installing nighttime apps or wearing blue light-blocking glasses.

Keep Your Bedroom Cool & Dark

Your breathing, heart rate, and body temperature drop as you sleep. If your bedroom is cool, it makes it easier to fall asleep. Aim to keep a nighttime temperature around 65 degrees; this is usually ideal for sleeping. Make sure you use curtains or blinds to keep out artificial light. Even small amounts of light can disrupt our sleep.

The bottom line? To live a long, healthy life, start with quality sleep each night.

This post was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved. 

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