Have you noticed that it's becoming more and more of a challenge to feel like you're getting a good night's sleep? If this sounds true in your day-to-day life, you're not the only one. In reality, based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 1 in 7 adults has trouble falling asleep. This is why it is wise to be mindful of your sleep quality, like how long it takes you to fall asleep, or how many times you wake up throughout the night.

Sleeping well for some can become more complex as the body ages and sometimes aches and pains set in. Since various types of sleep disruptions can interfere with a good night's sleep, you should pay close attention to both your sleep quality and the condition of your mattress, as well as how well the mattress supports and comforts you. If you're struggling to fall or stay asleep, start by analyzing your sleep quality, lifestyle, the condition of your mattress, and how comfortable it is for you.

Sleep disorders, like restless leg syndrome (RLS), and insomnia are common culprits that often keep people awake instead of asleep at night. If you have medical conditions that require specific medications, they can also impact your snooze quality. Your physical and mental health, lifestyle choices—like excessive sugar or alcohol consumption—and your daily stress levels all contribute to the quality of your sleep overall.

Main Points

• Your sleep environment, the medications you take, as well as the food and drink you consume, especially right before bed, can influence your sleep health. In turn, you'll notice your sleep quality affects your mind and body the most while you are awake, trying to think and go about your day.
• Difficulty sleeping can also be because of medical conditions like both short and long-term sleep disorders— restless legs, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea. Experiencing jet lag is even considered a short-term sleep disorder.
• If you struggle to stay asleep for most of the night, adjusting your habits and lifestyle should benefit you. Often, it is a typical recommendation if you're not sleeping well to speak with your doctor about your sleep issues as well. 

What Does It Mean If You Don't Sleep Well?

Struggling to fall asleep for hours and waking up frequently throughout the night can certainly affect both your physical body and your sanity. Next, the sleep specialists at Mattress World Northwest, one of the best places to get your mattress from, will highlight the top factors that influence how well you can sleep. Understanding what to pay attention to regarding your lifestyle and mattress condition, and knowing a few beneficial sleep solutions, like adjustable beds, that can help you take the necessary steps to improve pain or simply get better rest. 

Is Your Mattress Sabotaging Your Sleep? The Importance of Comfort and Support

Today, many individuals don't pay close enough attention to their mattress quality, and when it becomes unsuitable. As a result, many struggle to get a good night’s sleep. Aside from those with sleep-related disorders, you can attest much of one's sleep quality by the quality of their mattress. However, there is no exact expiration date for any given mattress. Only general guidelines to follow: with proper mattress maintenance and care, it can last up to ten years. 

Still, to help you determine the cause of poor sleep, you should be mindful of the current condition, support value, and pressure-relieving qualities, also known as comfort, of your mattress. 

Your mattress surface should not be visibly dipping or sagging. It should provide adequate support through resistance to align and support your body weight. The mattress, along with your pillow, should keep your hips, back, neck, and shoulders in alignment; a position that poses little stress or strain to your joints and muscles. 

Ample support from your mattress and pillow that fits your body will help prevent stiffness, pain, or tension in the morning. Ultimately, a mattress that provides a neutral spinal position while distributing your body weight evenly will feel the most comfortable, offering utmost support and pressure point relief.

Trouble Sleeping? Your Napping Habits Might Be to Blame

Naps are well recognized by people of all ages. Sleep Foundation statistics show that about every one out of three adults in the US utilizes a nap during their day. Although naps, taken at the right time of day with the proper duration, can often help you feel more alert and rested. On the contrary, taking a nap that is too long or one too late in the day is likely to make it harder for you to get your best rest when it's time to sleep for the night.

If you can't imagine life without a "cat nap" or two during the day, consider capping the nap at about 20 to 30 minutes—generating a "power nap" of sorts—to help you feel more alert, energized, and ready to go. Set a timer and allow about twenty minutes for a nap. This duration for a nap is enough for your body to rejuvenate a bit. Still, unless you are entirely sleep-deprived with a "pile of sleep debt," a twenty-minute nap generally isn't a long enough period to reach deep or Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep stages. 

More time napping in light sleep stages means you'll wake up more easily and feel more refreshed than before, rather than waking from deep sleep and feeling groggy. Likewise, napping for 20 minutes, and no more than 30 minutes, is a short enough time period that it shouldn't interfere with how fast you fall asleep or how well you stay asleep later on.

Understanding the Result of Jet Lag

Are you a globetrotter or frequent jet-setter? When you journey to a new place in an entirely different time zone, it can be hard for your "internal clock" to adjust to its new surroundings. Also referred to as your circadian rhythm, traveling can disrupt your subconscious rhythm, causing one of the more temporary sleep disorders, called jet lag. 

This normally short-term condition can cause you to feel drowsy and unwell at times. Especially after changing time zones and traveling for long hours, jet lag can make it hard to sleep at night. Fortunately, jet lag typically lasts for a short period of time. As your body adjusts to the new environment and time zone, jet lag, as a short-term sleep disorder, should typically resolve without any modifications on your part.

Navigating Stress or Anxiety: How It Influences Your Sleep

There are direct and indirect ways that anxiety impacts sleep. First off, a ”wired” brain with racing thoughts while experiencing anxiety can simply prevent you from getting any sleep at all. Secondly, if you're trying to get a good night's sleep but can't seem to succeed, you may actually feel even more anxious from your "failure" to sleep. For many, consistently getting a good night’s sleep can help heal anxiety. 

Many individuals will also become worried about catching up on sleep or getting the proper amount of rest to feel better, which creates an unhealthy cycle of pressure and anxiety to improve. For some, anxiety causes their lack of sleep, and a lack of sleep causes more anxiety.

Similar to anxiety, stress is also a hindrance to falling and staying asleep. According to one Stanford-trained sleep psychologist, Dr. Sarah Silverman, stress can trigger an adverse physical response, making it difficult to fall asleep in general. 

Silverman describes how stress impacts sleep: “increased stress can activate what’s called hyperarousal." With stress, your nervous system activates, then your mind and body sense the need to initiate a ‘fight-or-flight’ type of response. Instead of relaxation before bed, stress and this subconscious choice to fight or flee halt your ability to sleep and put you on a “heightened alert.” Both anxiety and stress make it exceptionally difficult to fall asleep quickly or even stay asleep for extended periods. That being said, if you aren't sleeping well, it could mean that you are becoming overly stressed or anxious.

Food for Thought: How What You Eat & Drink Impacts How Well You Sleep

What you eat and drink, especially right before bedtime, can immensely impact your sleep quality overall. For instance, for most people, caffeine is energy-inducing, making them feel more alert. Caffeine supplements, like coffee drinks, are primarily helpful during daytime hours, at times when you’d need to stay awake. However, if you consume energy-inducing caffeine too close to bedtime, it will be much more difficult for most people to fall asleep. 

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises avoiding caffeine or any other energy-inducing substances for 4 to 6 hours before bedtime. Avoid caffeine, especially if you’ve noticed that you are sensitive to it, as this can influence your ability to get a good night’s sleep. 

Also, keep in mind that caffeine may be present in products that you may not expect, such as chocolate or protein bars. Additionally, it is worth noting that "decaffeinated" does not necessarily mean caffeine-free.

How Screen Time With Blue Light Affects Sleep Health

Focusing on screen time before bed often makes it more difficult to fall asleep. Whether it’s your TV, tablet, computer, or cell phone, they all radiate blue light frequencies. These waves send a signal to your brain that it's time to wake up or stay up, disrupting your natural circadian rhythm. 

If you find yourself using technology in the bedroom—replying to emails, reading, or watching TV while in wind-down mode before bed, blue light frequencies may contribute to a state of digital overload. This mental alertness, combined with blue light, makes it increasingly difficult to fall asleep or even feel tired at all. If you're having trouble falling or staying asleep, try reducing blue light by limiting screen time during your bedtime routine to achieve better sleep.

How Medications Impact Sleep Quality

Many commonly prescribed medications may also cause issues with your sleep. These include treatment medicines used for depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Some non-prescription OTC drugs, such as decongestants, may also influence sleep and can even cause insomnia. Thyroid medication, steroids, and beta blockers are also known to cause interference with normally adequate sleep cycles.

Understanding Sleep Disorders: Are They Impacting Your Sleep Quality?

Expanding on sleep disorders like insomnia and jet lag, many other sleep conditions can interrupt your sleep—from insomnia, parasomnia, and hypersomnias to sleep-related breathing and movement disorders. The most familiar examples of sleep-related medical conditions are sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome (RLS). Conditions like these can be a cause for concern and disrupt your regular sleep patterns, making it more and more difficult to sleep and get the proper rest you need. 

Solutions for Fulfilling Optimal Sleep Health

At Mattress World Northwest, a local company with family-owned and operated sleep shop locations, you have access to hundreds of beneficial sleep solutions that could be the answer to your sleep troubles. Be sure to explore the impressive selection of well-recognized mattress brands, such as:

• Aireloom
• Purple
• Avocado
• Beautyrest
• Serta
• Nectar
• DreamCloud
• Instant Comfort SmartBeds
• Posh+Lavish
• Bed Tech
• King Koil

Sleep shops like Mattress World Northwest also display relaxation devices and high-quality sleep accessories, such as:

• Cooling Bamboo Sheets
• Massage chairs on sale
• High-quality pillows
• Luxury mattress toppers. 

Products like these can help you release tension, feel more comfortable, and sleep better.

Next, browse the MWNW online shop and visit a nearby mattress showroom today. The sleep specialists at Mattress World Northwest, one of the best places to purchase a mattress, will help guide you to achieving optimal sleep health once and for all!