Why can't you sleep?

Why does a person, who is tired all day, go to bed and can't sleep?




According to WebMD there are six reasons why a person can't sleep at night and we will address three today:  

Stress:  Okay, so who isn't stressed?  According to WebMD and a study that was conducted in 2009 by the American Psychological Association three in four American Adults are stressed.  Stress comes in many different forms; good and bad.  Worry will keep you awake.  I often tell people that the emotional work is much harder on a person than the physical.  The mind will keep working after the body has had enough.  This is what happens when we are stressed and try to sleep; our minds are thinking about the situation(s) and trying to resolve it. 

 "No one sleeps well with worries," says Joyce Walsleban, RN, PhD, associate professor of medicine at NYU's School of Medicine. "They are too alerting. They will either keep you up or wake you up later on."

"Stress hormones shoulder some of the blame. When you're stressed out, your adrenal glands release hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which keep you amped up and struggling to snooze." (WebMD)

Depression:  According to WebMD Insomnia and depression go together; determining which one causes the other may be difficult.  Research suggests that people with insomnia have ten times the risk of developing depression vs. those who sleep well. 

"And people who are depressed commonly struggle with insomnia, showing symptoms such as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling rested. The brain chemical serotonin, which affects mood, emotion, sleep, and appetite, according to Walsleban, is one likely reason the two conditions travel in tandem.

Ironically, Avidan warns, a common class of medication used to treat depression -- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors -- sometimes causes sleep disorders, such as periodic limb movement disorder, which causes your legs to jerk while you sleep, or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder, in which people act out their dreams, punching, kicking, or jumping from bed while still asleep. Talk with your doctor about all possible medication side effects."

Caffeine:  Who knew caffeine could stay in your system for up to 14 hours?  According to WebMD it can take eight to 14 hours for your body to rid of one-half of the caffeine you consume throughout the day.  Keep track of what you eat and drink throughout the day as you would be surprised how much of what we eat and drink have caffeine.  

"A latte with two shots of espresso contains about 150 milligrams of caffeine. If you have that at 5 p.m., by the time you wake up at 7 in the morning, the level of caffeine in the body is still about 75 milligrams. One Red Bull contains 80 milligrams of caffeine, Avidan explains.
If you can't sleep, say no to joe until sleep problems are under control, Avidan advises. If insomnia isn't a major problem, but you mysteriously can't sleep some nights, cut off your coffee or tea intake after breakfast. "Once you go beyond 10 a.m., it can be a problem," Avidan says about ingesting caffeine. Yet, most people become sleepy around 3 p.m. and use caffeine for a midday pick-me-up. That's a mistake, he says.
And don't forget that coffee and tea aren't the only things loaded with caffeine. "Chocolate is notorious for causing sleep problems and people don't recognize it," Avidan says. "People also have the notion that soda must have a dark color to be caffeinated. That's a myth."

We know that sleep keeps us healthy.  We know that without sleep we are a danger to ourselves and others.  If you are having trouble sleeping and find yourself tired go see your Doctor!  You may not think it's a problem but it is.  Not sleeping doesn't only just affect you and your family, it affects everyone who may cross your path.  

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration there may be as many as 100,000 crashes from driver fatigue each year, with an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 people injured, causing $12.5 billion economic losses. These figures may be the tip of the iceberg, since currently it is difficult to attribute crashes to sleepiness. (Car Accidents)

I have discovered a simple "fix" for my "tired during the day and can't sleep at night":  Vitamin B12 shots. I've tried the supplements and because of the breakdown that happens with digesting them they never worked.  Vitamin B12 shots have given me energy during the day and a good night sleep.

If you are in Southern Colorado and would like to try a Vitamin B12 shot you can get your first one for only $10.00 at Premier Back Rehabilitation Center.  Talk to them about your sleeping disorder.

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