We have all experienced it. You go to bed in the evening hoping you will get a restful sleep all night, but only to toss and turn for what feels like forever before actually nodding off. So, what is causing you not being able to fall asleep? Having trouble falling asleep can result from many factors, including anxiety and poor sleep hygiene. In this article, we will share common reasons why you can’t fall asleep as well as helpful tips to  improve your overall sleep quality.

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, Dr. Mathew Cheung and Dr. Peter Lin discuss potential reasons why you can not fall asleep. In this post, you will learn steps you can incorporate in your daily routines which can help your sleep habits and improve your sleep quality.

Getting a good night’s rest is key to maintaining your overall health. Sleep is key in helping your brain function and supporting your nerve cells. However, you may have trouble sleeping from time to time. Or you might regularly find yourself tossing and turning in the middle of the night. Some of the most common reasons why you can’t sleep include:

• Change in your sleep schedule
• Poor sleep environment
• Blue-light screens
• Stress
• Mental health conditions
• Sleep disorders6
• Alcohol and caffeine intake
• Diet
• Daytime inactivity

Poor sleep quality increases your risk of chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.2 Some sleep disorders, like insomnia, can lead to anxiety and depression. Therefore, getting a good night’s rest is key. There are a variety of lifestyle changes you can make to create the ultimate calm sleep routine.

Experts advise avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bedtime. Drinking alcohol may make you feel sleepy. Still, alcohol might wake you up multiple times during the night to go to the bathroom. Also, alcohol reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which helps with brain function.

Alcohol is known to cause or increase the symptoms of sleep apnea, snoring, and disrupted sleep patterns. It also alters nighttime melatonin production, which plays a key role in your body’s circadian rhythm. A study found that alcohol consumption at night decreased the natural nighttime elevations in human growth hormone (HGH), which plays a role in your circadian rhythm and has many other key functions.

Likewise, caffeine may also keep you up at night if you drink coffee or energy drinks in the late afternoon or evening. Some evidence suggests that caffeine may stay in your body for up to six hours before bedtime. If you simply love the ritual of winding down with the calming sensation of a hot beverage before bed, swap out your coffee for a decaffeinated tea or warm milk. Tryptophan, an enzyme found in warm milk, has shown to relax and calm the nervous system. This can help you to wind down before bed.

A relaxing bath or shower is another popular way to sleep better. Studies indicate that they can help improve overall sleep quality and help people — especially older adults — fall asleep faster. In one study, taking a hot bath 90 minutes before bed improved sleep quality and helped people get more deep sleep.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to take a full bath at night, simply bathing your feet in hot water can help you relax and improve sleep.

There’s something so relaxing about taking a steamy shower or sinking into a hot bath. A warm bath or shower can help relax your muscles and ease tension, which can make it easier to fall asleep. To make bath time even more beneficial for sleep, you can add magnesium-infused products in your bath, as increased magnesium levels in your bath water has proven to reduce stress symptoms from irritability to sleeplessness.

Electronics, like phones, computers, and TV screens, emit blue light. Blue light has one of the most potent effects on your sleep-wake cycle. Scrolling through social media or watching a TV show in bed to relax may adversely affect your sleep.

In fact, a poll from the National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep in America found that people with high screen times right before bed had poorer sleep quality than others. Instead, turning off your phone and leaving it in another room at least two hours before bed may help you fall asleep.

There are several popular methods you can use to reduce nighttime blue light exposure. These include:

• Wear glasses that block blue light.
• Install an app that blocks blue light on your smartphone. These are available for both iPhones and Android models.
• Stop watching TV and turn off any bright lights 2 hours before heading to bed.

While short power naps are beneficial, long or irregular napping during the day can negatively affect your sleep. Sleeping in the daytime can confuse your internal clock, meaning that you may struggle to sleep at night.

In fact, in one study, participants ended up being sleepier during the day after taking daytime naps. Another study noted that while napping for 30 minutes or less can enhance daytime brain function, longer naps can harm health and sleep quality.

However, some studies demonstrate that those who are used to taking regular daytime naps don’t experience poor sleep quality or disrupted sleep at night.

If you take regular daytime naps and sleep well, you shouldn’t worry. The effects of napping depend on the individual.

Your body has a natural time-keeping clock known as your circadian rhythm.

It affects your brain, body, and hormones, helping you stay awake and telling your body when it’s time to sleep.

Natural sunlight or bright light during the day helps keep your circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime energy, as well as nighttime sleep quality and duration.

In people with insomnia, daytime bright light exposure improved sleep quality and duration. It also reduced the time it took to fall asleep by 83%.

A similar study in older adults found that 2 hours of bright light exposure during the day increased the amount of sleep by 2 hours and sleep efficiency by 80%.

While most research involves people with severe sleep issues, daily light exposure will most likely help you even if you experience average sleep.

Try getting daily sunlight exposure or — if this is not practical — invest in an artificial bright light device or bulbs.

Your body’s circadian rhythm functions on a set loop, aligning itself with sunrise and sunset. Being consistent with your sleep and waking times can aid long-term sleep quality.

One study noted that participants who had irregular sleeping patterns and went to bed late on the weekends reported poor sleep.

A another study  highlighted that irregular sleep patterns can alter your circadian rhythm and levels of melatonin, which signal your brain to sleep. If you struggle with sleep, try to get in the habit of waking up and going to bed at similar times. After several weeks, you may not even need an alarm.

Many people believe that the bedroom environment and its setup are key factors in getting a good night’s sleep. These factors include temperature, noise, external lights, and furniture arrangement.

Numerous studies point out that external noise, often from traffic, can cause poor sleep and long-term health issues. In one study on the bedroom environment of women, around 50% of participants noticed improved sleep quality when noise and light diminished.

To optimize your bedroom environment, try to minimize external noise, light, and artificial lights from devices like alarm clocks. Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, relaxing, clean, and enjoyable place.

Body and bedroom temperature can also profoundly affect sleep quality. As you may have experienced during the summer or in hot locations, it can be very hard to get a good night’s sleep when it’s too warm.

One study found that bedroom temperature affected sleep quality more than external noise. Other studies reveal that increased body and bedroom temperature can decrease sleep quality and increase wakefulness.

Around 70°F (20°C) seems to be a comfortable temperature for most people, although it depends on your preferences and habits.

Eating late at night may negatively affect both sleep quality and the natural release of HGH and melatonin. That said, the quality and type of your late-night snack may play a role as well.

In one study, a high carb meal eaten 4 hours before bed helped people fall asleep faster.

Interestingly, one study discovered that a low carb diet also improved sleep, indicating that carbs aren’t always necessary, especially if you’re used to a low carb diet.

Many people have a pre-sleep routine that helps them relax. Relaxation techniques before bed have been shown to improve sleep quality and are another common technique used to treat insomnia. Calming music can help boost feelings of sleepiness. Listening to calming music can help you relax and unwind before bed. Though, research has also found that white noise, ocean sounds, and brown noise can all help.

In one study, a relaxing massage improved sleep quality in people who were ill. Strategies include listening to relaxing music, reading a book, taking a hot bath, meditating, deep breathing, and visualization.

Try out different methods and find what works best for you.

Exercise is one of the best science-backed ways to improve your sleep and health. It can enhance all aspects of sleep and has been used to reduce symptoms of insomnia.

One study in older adults determined that exercise nearly halved the amount of time it took to fall asleep and provided 41 more minutes of sleep at night. In people with severe insomnia, exercise offered more benefits than most drugs. Exercise reduced time to fall asleep by 55%, total night wakefulness by 30%, and anxiety by 15% while increasing total sleep time by 18%.

Although daily exercise is key for a good night’s sleep, performing it too late in the day may cause sleep problems. This is due to the stimulatory effect of exercise, which increases alertness and hormones like epinephrine and adrenaline.

Nocturia is the medical term for excessive urination during the night. It affects sleep quality and daytime energy. Drinking large amounts of liquids before bed can lead to similar symptoms, though some people are more sensitive than others.

Although hydration is vital for your health, it’s wise to reduce your fluid intake in the late evening.

Try to not drink any fluids 1–2 hours before going to bed. You should also use the bathroom right before going to bed, as this may decrease your chances of waking in the night.

• Sleep helps your brain function and supports your nerve cells. Without quality sleep, your risk of chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, rises.
• If you’ve ever laid awake at night and wondered, “why can’t I sleep?” there may be several reasons. Some common reasons you can’t sleep include poor sleep environment, sleep disorders, stress, and daytime inactivity.
• To prepare yourself for a good night’s rest, avoid alcohol and caffeine during the evening, turn off any screens that emit blue light two hours before bed, and exercise for 20–30 minutes during the day.
• If you can’t sleep at night, try breathing techniques, reading a book, and adjusting your bedroom temperature and noise level.

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, we strive to provide the best service, care, and results possible. If you have circulation problem related to your arteries or veins and would like to seek consultation with a vascular surgeon, give us a call at 626-275-9566 to schedule an appointment. You can also visit us at www.vcsla.com for more information.