A new survey showed that only one in 10 adults in the UK gets a good night's sleep every night. Motion Nutrition, the company that commissioned the survey, found that about 17% never wake up feeling rested while 50% describe their sleep as fragmented. It is common knowledge that poor sleep quality leaves people feeling tired and with less energy throughout the day.
4 Morning Routine That Disrupts Nighttime Sleep
Harley Street functional nutritionist Phoebe Liebling revealed to The Sun four of the morning habits that can affect the night's sleep:
- Not eating protein during breakfast- Phoebe said that getting a good night's sleep means keeping blood sugar levels stable. But most people consume carbohydrates during breakfast and avoid protein. She explained that if sugar levels go high, people can get a spike, and then the body will respond with insulin. High levels of insulin in the evening could cause sleep disturbances because it will signal the body to wake up in the middle of the night thinking it needs energy.
- Making coffee- Phoebe advises against drinking coffee upon waking up. As a stimulant, coffee triggers a stress response that disrupts the natural wake-sleep hormones and circadian rhythm as a whole. It is best to train oneself to wean off coffee when in a bad sleep routine.
- Using computers or gadgets first thing in the morning- Phoebe said that it is best to stand in the natural daylight to start the day before using computers or gadgets. She told The Sun that the circadian rhythm is dictated by the production of cortisol in the morning and melatonin in the night. Disruption in these hormones triggers problems in sleep.
- Doing intense cardio- Gym goers, particularly women, who opt for high-intensity class or cardio can make sleep worse. According to Phoebe, people assume that intense cardio excise in the morning could help but this only works nicely in men and works terribly on women. She added that it will only hold onto fats and make them sleep badly later in the day because they have stressed their body. Phoebe advises women to stop the intense cardio exercise to improve sleep quality and start using this energy wisely.
Symptoms and Implications of Interrupted Sleep
The central symptom of interrupted sleep for many people is easily noticeable. According to Sleep Foundation, this would be waking up from sleep one or more times during the night in which timing and lengths could vary.
They may be awake for several minutes or extended periods before going back to sleep. Also, they could experience restless sleep in which they toss and turn or feel only half-asleep without achieving a deeper rest.
On the other hand, not all of them are easily noticeable to the sleeper. Some experience very brief and minor disruptions or arousal without even realizing it. People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who have lapses in breathing usually experience this as they do not usually know that respiratory arousal is happening.
Implications of interrupted sleep could significantly affect the sleep quality and several aspects of a person's life. Previous studies showed a strong correlation between sleep continuity and total sleep time, which indicates that disturbed sleep is at a higher risk of not getting enough time to sleep.
Insufficient sleep could cause daytime sleepiness that distracts people from their work or school performance and increases the risk of accidents.
RELATED ARTICLE: Can You Recover Lost Sleep on Weekdays by Oversleeping Over the Weekends?
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