If you’ve ever found yourself tossing and turning in bed, desperately trying to sleep, you’re not alone. This could be a sign that you have insomnia, which is one of the most common sleep disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While countless individuals live with this disorder, there’s hope for improved sleep. But if it continues to go unchecked, it can wreak havoc on your overall health.

We’ll explore the things many people do before bed that can contribute to insomnia and what can be done to ensure every night is a restful one.

Lack of stress management

Stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that influences the natural sleep-wake cycle. As a result, when stress levels are elevated, it can be challenging to unwind, leading to sleep disturbances and insomnia.

According to The American Institute of Stress, 55% of Americans find themselves stressed during the day. Unfortunately, this stress doesn’t disappear at night, so if you too are dealing with high amounts of stress, you’ll want to learn to manage it. Your best course of action is to practice stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing, meditation or yoga. Additionally, regular exercise is a powerful stress reliever that can improve sleep quality.

Irregular sleep schedule

The Mayo Clinic identified an irregular sleep schedule as a cause of insomnia. Without a consistent schedule, you disrupt your circadian rhythm, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle, hormone production and other physiological processes over a 24-hour period.

If you have an irregular sleep schedule, you’ll confuse your body’s internal clock. This can prevent melatonin, the sleep hormone, from being released at the appropriate time, making it harder to fall asleep and wake up at a reasonable time. To establish a sleep routine, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This will allow your body to adjust to a consistent sleep pattern so you can get to sleep easier and experience a healthy, restful sleep.

Read more: Here’s What Your Sleep Cycle Says About You

Unbalanced diet

An unbalanced diet can impact many aspects of your health, including your energy levels, weight, mood and sleep quality. Foods and drinks high in sugar, stimulants or spices can ruin your rest because this type of diet leads to inadequate intake of magnesium, tryptophan and vitamins, which may affect melatonin production and serotonin levels, contributing to insomnia.

Prioritizing a well-rounded diet with sleep-promoting nutrients supports a healthier sleep-wake cycle and overall improved sleep quality. Instead of sugary, salty snacks and caffeinated drinks, opt for sleep-friendly food choices like whole grains, leafy greens, bananas and nuts to improve your sleep.

Sedentary lifestyle

Moving your body can improve your life in many ways. And since physical activity and sleep are intertwined, it should come as no surprise that a sedentary lifestyle can negatively affect your sleep. This is because insufficient physical activity can hinder the body’s natural sleep-regulating mechanisms and processes.

Regular exercise promotes better sleep quality, aiding in the regulation of circadian rhythms and reducing insomnia risks. You don’t have to do an intense workout, but incorporating low-impact exercises into your routine, such as walking or gentle yoga, can promote better sleep quality. However, you want to be careful not to engage in exercise too close to bed. Physical activity can raise your core temperature and release endorphins, so Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends people avoid working out an hour or two before bed.

Environmental factors

The ambiance of your sleep environment should be considered as a factor when you’re battling insomnia. A few factors that can disrupt your sleep are noise, light and temperature.

To optimize your sleep and ensure you get a good night’s rest, address these three factors. Maintain an ideal bedroom temperature of 60 to 71.6 degrees F. Minimize noise disruptions with fans or white noise machines and noise-blocking curtains. Aim for a darker room at night to promote relaxation and better sleep. Since these adjustments align with the body’s natural temperature fluctuations and circadian rhythms, they foster an environment conducive to restful sleep.

Read more: Create the Perfect Sleep Environment in 7 Easy Steps

Mental activity before bed

Your mind may not be ready for bed when you are, especially when you engage in mentally stimulating activities before bedtime, such as overthinking or playing video games. You may not be able to shut off your brain, but you can put it at ease.

You want to be in a restful, calm state, so opt for a nighttime routine with calming and soothing activities like reading a book, practicing relaxation exercises or journaling to clear your mind and prepare for sleep. Consider using your smartphone to create a bedtime routine. Apple’s Wind Down feature allows you to create a routine with presleep activities starting 15 minutes to three hours before bed.

Exposure to blue light

Daytime exposure to blue light is often welcome because it gets you up in the morning and stimulates you throughout the day. However, when electronic devices like smartphones and computers emit blue light at night, this exposure suppresses melatonin and disrupts your circadian rhythm, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Basically, if you love to scroll before bed, you could find yourself too stimulated and unable to sleep. Consider reducing your screen time before bed. And if you do struggle to put your phone down, activate night mode to lessen the effects of blue light or invest in blue light-blocking glasses.

By Kristina Byas See full bio  Kristina Byas

1. Reassure children that they are safe. Emphasize that schools are very safe. Validate their feelings. Explain that all feelings are okay when a tragedy occurs. Let children talk about their feelings, help put them into perspective, and assist them in expressing these feelings appropriately.
2. Make time to talk. Let their questions be your guide as to how much information to provide. Be patient; children and youth do not always talk about their feelings readily. Watch for clues that they may want to talk, such as hovering around while you do the dishes or yard work. Some children prefer writing, playing music, or doing an art project as an outlet. Young children may need concrete activities (such as drawing, looking at picture books, or imaginative play) to help them identify and express their feelings.
3. Keep your explanations developmentally appropriate.
   • Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that their school and homes are safe and that adults are there to protect them. Give simple examples of school safety like reminding children about exterior doors being locked, child monitoring efforts on the playground, and emergency drills practiced during the school day.
   • Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what is being done at their school. They may need assistance separating reality from fantasy. Discuss efforts of school and community leaders to provide safe schools.
   • Upper middle school and high school students will have strong and varying opinions about the causes of violence in schools and society. They will share concrete suggestions about how to make school safer and how to prevent tragedies in society. Emphasize the role that students have in maintaining safe schools by following school safety guidelines (e.g. not providing building access to strangers, reporting strangers on campus, reporting threats to the school safety made by students or community members, etc.), communicating any personal safety concerns to school administrators, and accessing support for emotional needs.
4. Review safety procedures. This should include procedures and safeguards at school and at home. Help children identify at least one adult at school and in the community to whom they go if they feel threatened or at risk.
5. Observe children’s emotional state. Some children may not express their concerns verbally. Changes in behavior, appetite, and sleep patterns can also indicate a child’s level of anxiety or discomfort. In most children, these symptoms will ease with reassurance and time. However, some children may be at risk for more intense reactions. Children who have had a past traumatic experience or personal loss, suffer from depression or other mental illness, or with special needs may be at greater risk for severe reactions than others. Seek the help of mental health professional if you are at all concerned.
6. Limit television viewing of these events. Limit television viewing and be aware if the television is on in common areas. Developmentally inappropriate information can cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young children. Adults also need to be mindful of the content of conversations that they have with each other in front of children, even teenagers, and limit their exposure to vengeful, hateful, and angry comments that might be misunderstood.
7. Maintain a normal routine. Keeping to a regular schedule can be reassuring and promote physical health. Ensure that children get plenty of sleep, regular meals, and exercise. Encourage them to keep up with their schoolwork and extracurricular activities but don’t push them if they seem overwhelmed.

Suggested Points to Emphasize When Talking to Children

• Schools are safe places. School staff works with parents and public safety providers (local police and fire departments, emergency responders, hospitals, etc.) to keep you safe.

The school building is safe because … (cite specific school procedures).

• We all play a role in the school safety. Be observant and let an adult know if you see or hear something that makes you feel uncomfortable, nervous or frightened.
• There is a difference between reporting, tattling or gossiping. You can provide important information that may prevent harm either directly or anonymously by telling a trusted adult what you know or hear.
• Although there is no absolute guarantee that something bad will never happen, it is important to understand the difference between the possibility of something happening and probability that it will affect you (our school community).
• Senseless violence is hard for everyone to understand. Doing things that you enjoy, sticking to your normal routine, and being with friends and family help make us feel better and keep us from worrying about the event.
• Sometimes people do bad things that hurt others. They may be unable to handle their anger, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or suffering from mental illness. Adults (parents, teachers, police officers, doctors, faith leaders) work very hard to get those people help and keep them from hurting others. It is important for all of us to know how to get help if we feel really upset or angry and to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
• Stay away from guns and other weapons. Tell an adult if you know someone has a gun. Access to guns is one of the leading risk factors for deadly violence.
• Violence is never a solution to personal problems. Students can be part of the positive solution by participating in anti-violence programs at school, learning conflict mediation skills, and seeking help from an adult if they or a peer is struggling with anger, depression, or other emotions they cannot control.

NASP has additional information for parents and educators on school safety, violence prevention, children’s trauma reactions, and crisis response at www.nasponline.org.

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