Not sleeping well is a really big issue, especially if you want to have more energy, sustainable health, and feel good day after day.

I struggled with not sleeping well, especially after my injuries and being in so much pain. Here are 5 main causes that affect how you sleep and how to fix them. 

1. Eating too close to bedtime or having a large portion.

This is something that took me a while to figure out. I was living in an ashram in India and they were telling me this. I was studying in a monastery, learning meditation. 

Finally, I experimented with it. I just tried it out for three or four days. And it was amazing because by day three, I woke up and had so much energy, and was sleeping so much better.

What I recommend you do is experiment with eating your last meals three to four hours before you go to bed, and have a smaller portion. See how you feel after a few days, and if that makes a difference. Especially if you’re not sleeping well.

2. Stress 

If we’re dealing with chronic stress, it can really affect our hormones. We’re releasing so much cortisol and adrenaline, and we might be in this state of wired but tired. Sometimes, when we’re in that high cortisol or high stress, we can actually start going into low cortisol. This can be an issue because our cortisol levels can flip-flop. Our cortisol levels are supposed to be the highest between 6 and 9 a.m., and this can happen where our cortisol starts getting released between 1 and 3 a.m.  I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this, but it’s an issue.

We have to really look at things we can do to reduce stress and be able to sleep really well at night. To me, the biggest thing for stress reduction is movement and exercise. The first reason I do that is really for the mental part of it. Especially if we’re doing a lot, we’re stressed out, we have to be able to focus and give our minds a break. That’s really important.

Also, having nutrient-dense foods and doing everything we can to slow down and take care of ourselves.

3. Having too much light, the temperature too hot, or too much noise.

I recommend blackout curtains in the bedroom so it can help with melatonin production. That’s what’s going to make us sleepy when released. If we have a lot of light, that’s not going to help.

Also, keep the temperature low. If the temperature is too hot, we might wake up in the middle of the night and be overheated.

I became noise-sensitive after my accidents and my injuries. So the third thing is to look at noise reduction, wearing ear plugs, and making sure you set yourself up for success so you can have a great night’s sleep.

4. Screen Time

I recommend a low amount of screen time for an hour or two before you go to sleep. Especially if you’re watching TV, that new drama series with all the suspense right before you go to sleep is not a good thing. It’s stimulating our nervous system, and we want our nervous system to calm down.

If we’re doing a lot of emails and text messages, our minds are getting fragmented and it’s hard to slow down. Even with exercise. If you’re doing a heavy amount of exercise at night, this is going to keep our cortisol levels up. If you want to get a workout in at night, do lower-impact movements and slow down the pace.

5. Too much caffeine.

This is something to look at if you drink a lot of caffeine. I really recommend drinking your caffeine in the morning.

It’s an easy search to see the levels of caffeine that things have. For instance, espresso has less caffeine than coffee. To be able to titrate down and to see other things you can have.

Try not to have caffeine past noon. That should just be a rule if you’re not sleeping well. If you’re drinking a lot of caffeine, try to drink less and less each day. Because if you try to take it out right away, you’re going to get headaches and withdrawals. 

What helps you get a better night’s sleep? Can’t wait to hear your comments below!