Acid reflux causes the body to partially awaken from sleep, even when there are no symptoms of heartburn. The result of this “silent reflux” is fitful, uneven sleep, but when you wake up digestion is complete and you can’t tell why you slept poorly.
2. You toss and turn or wake up often to use the bathroom.
For some people, the problem manifests as having to get up to use the bathroom, and then being unable to get back to sleep. Once middle-of-the-night sleeplessness attacks, they lie awake for hours. But for others the problem is more subtle; they may sleep fitfully without waking fully, as the body attempts to send a signal that it needs to go.
3. Your jaw clicks, pops, or feels sore, or your teeth are wearing down.
Bruxism involves tensing of the jaw muscles, so it interferes with the relaxation necessary for deep sleep. And if you’re fully grinding, your body is engaged in movement rather than resting.
4. You move all over the bed or wake tangled in the covers.
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes these sleep movement disorders, but they do know they’re directly related to a lack of deep, restful, REM sleep. The restlessness can prevent you from sinking into deep sleep, or a muscle jerk can wake or partially rouse you from deep sleep.
5. You wake up with a dry mouth or horrible morning breath.
How it interrupts sleep: Mouth breathing and snoring can interrupt sleep because you’re not getting enough air to fully relax. Severe snoring — particularly when accompanied by gasps or snorts — can also indicate a more serious problem with obstructed breathing during sleep.
6. You sleep fitfully, feel exhausted all the time, and wake with a sore throat or neck pain.
Obstructive sleep apnea results when the throat closes and cuts off airflow, preventing you from getting enough oxygen. UARS is similar, but it’s usually tongue position that blocks air from getting into the throat. Blood oxygen levels drop, and when the brain knows it’s not getting enough oxygen, it starts to wake up. This causes fitful, unproductive sleep. Weight gain is a major factor in sleep apnea, because when people gain weight they end up with extra-soft tissue in the throat area, which causes or contributes to the blockage.
7. You get a full night’s sleep but feel groggy all the time or get sleepy while driving.
The onset of darkness triggers production of the hormone melatonin, which tells the brain it’s time to sleep. Conversely, when your eyes register light, it shuts off melatonin production and tells you it’s time to wake up. Even a small amount of ambient light in the room can keep your body from falling into and remaining in a deep sleep. The use of devices with lighted screens is especially problematic in terms of melatonin production because the light shines directly into your eyes. This light is also at the blue end of the spectrum, which scientists believe is particularly disruptive to circadian rhythms.
0 Comments