11 Reasons Why You Can’t Sleep, And How To Fix It

This post has 11 reasons why you can’t sleep, and ways to help you overcome the exhaustion!

Why You Can’t Sleep and Ways to Overcome the Exhaustion

Are you exhausted all day, but then when it comes time to finally get some rest your mind starts racing and you can’t get to sleep? It’s not terribly uncommon in today’s world of constant “go, go, go”. It seems like the busier you are the better these days, but is it? There’s a reason why you can’t sleep well, and it may surprise you what it actually is: hormones.

You can blame elevated cortisol levels for the nightly mind-racing and daily exhaustion. This hormone is responsible for our ‘fight or flight’ response. But here’s the thing; your mind doesn’t know the difference between “Oh, crap there’s a bear – I need to run!” and “Oh, crap I have a deadline to make and dinner to cook and (fill in the blank)!” The simple fact is that we are constantly in go mode. And it’s ruining our hormones.

Here are the ways our cortisol gets elevated during the day, and simple fixes to help get your levels down so that you can relax and get to sleep at night.

1. You are on your phone or watch TV late into the night

Did you know that this could be affecting your sleep? Blue light from our phone screens and TVs can really mess with our circadian rhythm. And the stimulation from scrolling can make your mind race and is a big reason why you can’t sleep.

Try putting your phone down and not looking at it for at least 30 minutes (an hour is even better!) before bedtime. You can even try to plug it in in another room than the one you sleep in if you are tempted by it. And if you HAVE to be on your phone (note; you don’t) then use some blue light-blocking glasses.

2. You’re overstimulated all day with no moments of silence

Sound familiar? In today’s society, this is looked at as “good”. To always have somewhere to go and being busy all the time. However, this practice is wreaking havoc on our nervous system and our hormones.

Try meditating on your lunch break. Or even just try to put that phone away and close your eyes for a few minutes. Scrolling that social media feed is giving you a huge hit of dopamine, which is also causing unwanted problems. We shouldn’t be stimulated constantly, and even just 5 minutes of doing NOTHING will make a huge difference.

3. You wake up and pound back coffee on an empty stomach

This makes sense, right? I mean you didn’t sleep well the night before, so caffeine up! This is probably one of the worst things you can do. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can increase stress levels, cause blood sugar imbalances, and digestive problems. Drinking a full cup of coffee without food is a hefty dose of acidity to your stomach, which can cause acid reflux throughout the rest of the day.

Instead, try eating a protein-rich breakfast like eggs, meat, etc. – then drink that caffeine.

4. Your breakfast is either black coffee or a granola bar

You over-slept because you didn’t get to sleep soon enough, so now you are in a hurry and all you have time for is a pre-packaged granola bar (or other processed snack). These processed foods are made with so much junk. Eating sweet and processed food first thing in the morning is a surefire way to have elevated blood sugar levels throughout the whole day. Eating processed, sugary foods in the morning can directly affect why you aren’t sleeping at night.

If you are in a hurry, grab an apple or some berries instead. The fiber and the nutrients will set you up for success. You can also try to keep healthier pre-packaged foods, like chomps, or make your own, healthier breakfast bars (with some added protein!).

5. You have a meal late at night

When you eat, your body immediately starts to go into digestion mode. Excreting digestive hormones like gastrin, secretin, and cholecystokinin. Making it harder for you to calm down and start producing melatonin (the sleep hormone).

Try to eat your last meal at least 2 hours before hitting the hay. 3 hours would be ideal if you can go that long. After the 3-hour mark, our bodies are pretty much done with the heavy load of the digestive process and can calm down enough to get some sleep.

6. You aren’t supplementing with Magnesium

Most of us are chronically low in magnesium levels. There are so many things that can go wrong when we are deficient in this mineral, and sleep is one of the major things that suffers.

Take a quality magnesium supplement 20-30 minutes before going to bed. Magnesium will calm you down and make it easier to fall asleep fast. You can also rub some Magnesium body butter on your stomach, legs, and feet for an instant calming effect right before bed.

7. You’re exercising way too intensely

I know so many women who think that the more intense the workout is, the better. That killing themselves for a full hour straight is going to magically solve all of their health problems and make them skinny. The truth? It’s doing the exact opposite and could be a major reason why you aren’t sleeping well at night. Sure, cardio and lifting weights are important, but doing it every single day at intense rates is really messing with your body and your sleep cycle, and not in a good way.

Instead, go for more walks. Set the timer for 20 minutes and lift heavy then be done. Do more yoga and pilates workouts that are effective but not intense. make sure you are getting in your movement, but not killing yourself in the process.

8. You aren’t on an adaptogen

An adaptogen is a supplement to help your body adapt to stress. They are great for treating hormone imbalances and help manage oxidative stress in your body. Adaptogens can lower your cortisol levels, support your adrenal system, optimize thyroid function, and boost energy levels as well as low libido.

Taking an adaptogen like Ashwagandha is a perfect way to start with adaptogens. It’s gentle and has hardly any side effects. It does take 3-4 weeks to start to work, so be patient and give it time.

9. You have no pleasure in your life – you’re just going through the motions.

Am I hitting home yet? Work, working out, play practice, soccer games, and the list goes on. Does any of it truly bring you joy? It can play a major role in why you can’t sleep. If not, let’s go over some things that can help:

Do you love art? Take that painting class. Love to run? Make time for that. Hate your job? Freshen up that resume and get your name out there. Creating time and space for things that you enjoy isn’t just important, it’s vital. Make it a priority, even if it’s just once or twice a week.

10. You get into arguments before bed

When you argue with your kids, or partners, or write up a feisty work email right before bed, it spikes your cortisol and adrenaline levels. It instantly gets you into that “fight or flight” mode and it takes a while for you to calm down, making it hard to fall asleep.

Set up boundaries. Eliminate the things that get you fired up. Have hard discussions earlier in the day and try to resolve them instead of over-thinking on your own. Don’t work at night, and try to set up an evening routine that is calming and sets you up for sleep success.

11. You are constantly in GO mode

I’m probably starting to sound like a broken record at this point. But constantly being on the go with little to no breaks in between could definitely play a huge role in why you can’t sleep at night. When you are constantly stimulated, and then try to relax to fall asleep at night, your body doesn’t know what to do. And doing this day in and day out makes your body unable to regulate itself making the problem worse as time goes on.

It can be difficult to cut back on a busy schedule. Especially if you have kids in every sport imaginable plus other responsibilities. My best advice is to say “no”. Don’t be PTA president if you already have a million things on your plate. And your kids don’t have to be in soccer, dance, gymnastics, volleyball, and basketball. Have them pick the activity that they love the most and stop forcing them to do everything as well.

This Post Had 11 Reasons Why You Can’t Sleep, And Ways To Help Fix It

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xo,

Winky Pink

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