If you are chronically tired but can’t figure out why, there may be a few easy fixes.
You’re Getting Too Much Sleep
Whether you were laid off from work during the pandemic or work from home with flexible hours—lazily lying in bed too long each day may be why you feel tired. Our bodies operate best on a sleep schedule so it’s time to start setting an alarm for 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
The Quality Of Your Sleep Is Low
If you’re getting enough sleep but you aren’t able to achieve REM and non-REM (the last 2 of the 4 sleep stages) then you will wake up feeling tired. Some of the common causes of low-quality sleep include:
- Phone alerts
- Snoring partner
- Disruptive pets
- Being too hot or too cold
- Loud surroundings
- Getting up to go to the bathroom
Most of these can be easily resolved with earplugs, hot or cold bed pads, earplugs, and drinking and eating less before bedtime.
Blue Light Exposure
One of the many reasons to unplug an hour or two before bedtime is because the blue lights on our smartphones, notebooks, and even our eReaders are a stimulant. If you are physically tired at bedtime but have a difficult time falling to sleep, limit screen time at least 2 hours before you head to bed, or at least wear blue light glasses.
Here’s to getting better sleep!
