Broken sleep every night
It’s peaceful to wake up when you have completed a good night’s sleep. But what happens if the sleep is interrupted frequently? It could make you feel irritated, anxious, and reduce your ability to think. And if this persists for a longer time, it could lead to problems like obesity, diabetes, and many other diseases. Hence, it is crucial to figure out the reasons behind frequent sleep interruptions during the night.
This text will walk you through all the details regarding interrupted sleep and its solutions.
Let’s get going.
Is broken sleep okay?
Broken sleep cycle is a phenomenon in which a person faces frequent awakenings throughout the night. It could be caused by various factors such as:
- Stress
- Sleep hygiene
- Medical issues
- The environment in which you sleep
Many other possible causes could lead to disturbance in your sleep cycle. Hence, to address this concern, you will have to identify the root cause.
Know that broken or interrupted sleep is not an ideal condition. It could adversely impact your physical and mental health. However, it might be normal in case of occasional occurrence.
Here’s a detailed view on why broken sleep is problematic:
- Interferes with the sleep cycle
A good night’s sleep occurs in stages that include light, deep, and REM sleep. When you face frequent awakenings, your body cannot take the benefit of deep sleep, which restores and charges you for the next day.
- Damages physical health
Having constant sleep disturbances is linked to the chances of obesity. It can impact your cardiovascular health, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
- Impacts mental health
When you have irregular and broken sleep cycles, it can lead to irritability, mood swings, and anxiety. It can also affect your cognitive functions, which include memory retention.
- Affects quality of life
Broken sleep could hamper the quality of your life by impacting your daily functions, relations, and progress at the workplace.
What causes broken sleep?
The other name for broken sleep is fragmented sleep, which can happen due to many underlying causes. It could be a result of mental health or lifestyle problems. And another definite cause can be the environment you sleep in. Some of the common causes are
- Sleep apnea
- Restless leg syndrome
- Pain in any part of the body
- Anxiety
- Consuming substances like alcohol or caffeine
- Stress
- Sleeping routine
- Noise in the bedroom
All of these are possible causes of a broken sleep cycle. Other common issues like travelling, shifting, or work pressure, might lead to temporarily interrupted sleep. You will need a solution for persistent sleep problems.
Broken sleep effects
Broken sleep could have a devastating effect on your body, relationships, and even work. Want to know what are its possible effects? Here are some of those:
- Low concentration and decision-making power:
Having broken sleep at night can impair your decision-making power and restrict you from focusing on crucial tasks.
- Mood swings:
When you don’t have uninterrupted sleep at night, it’s obvious to have an irritated mood. It happens because sleep is responsible for regulating your emotions.
- Risk of accidents:
When you feel sleepy during the day and have impaired cognitive functions, it’s obvious to face difficulties while driving or working with machinery.
- Weak immune system:
It’s necessary to have enough sleep for your immune system to function normally, or else it could grow weak.
- Cardiovascular issues:
Excessive sleep deprivation is thought to increase blood pressure, which can further lead to higher chances of cardiovascular diseases.
- Hormonal imbalance
One of the major impacts of sleep deprivation is the imbalance in hormones that maintain your body. It can disturb the production of hormones like testosterone and growth hormone.
There are many other possible effects that can happen due to an inappropriate amount of sleep.
Does broken sleep count?
The broken sleep will count towards your total sleep time. The uninterrupted sleep is often more restorative than broken sleep. Although if you wake up once or twice during the night, it might be normal, but if you wake up more frequently, then it could affect sleep quality. It could cause sleepiness during the day, harm your cognitive function, and even cause severe health consequences.
Know that there are people who have biphasic sleep, which can be normal. They have two different sleep periods, which are eventually healthy. If you are constantly facing uneven and interrupted sleep, it is advised to get professional help and use medications like Nappie 7.5mg.
The minimum amount of sleep needed for brain function
The majority of adults might require 7-9 hours of sleep per night for the brain to function normally. Know that the need for sleep might differ for individuals. But consistently getting less sleep could lead to serious concerns. It is necessary to have enough deep sleep for cognitive functions like memory retention, brain restoration, and more.
Hence, if you are concerned about sleeping patterns, seek help from a specialist before it’s too late.
How to fix a broken sleep schedule?
If you are sincerely looking to fix a broken sleep schedule, it’s time to readjust your lifestyle and sleep routine. Keep away from naps and set your bedtime routine properly. Strictly avoid caffeine before sleeping. Here is a detailed explanation on how you can fix broken sleep:
- Set up a sleep schedule:
You must set up a time for sleeping and waking up. And follow this every day, even when you are at home. Make this adjustment gradually with increasing time by 15-30 minutes. Avoid sleeping during the day as it could lead to sleep disturbances at night.
- Watch your sleep environment:
Your sleep environment is crucial and can hamper your sleep cycle. Make it relaxing and comfortable to ensure sound sleep. Organize your bedroom to make it feel quiet, dark, and cool. Also, you can use a sleep mask with curtains that don’t allow light to penetrate. Also, try taking the help of white noise or relaxing sounds.
- Adjust light and caffeine:
Your body needs natural light when you wake up. It helps maintain cardiac rhythm. Avoid screen time before bed as blue light disturbs melatonin production. Also, avoid alcohol and caffeine before bed.
- Consider relaxing tasks:
You can also take help of activities like a warm bath, reading a book, or meditation to fall asleep. Again, if you fail to sleep, you can engage in a quiet activity until you feel sleepy.
- Take professional help:
If all of this does not help, you can try consulting a professional for help. They might ask you to buy
zopiclone or certain medications that help with interrupted sleep. Know that adjusting sleep schedule is a time-consuming process; hence, maintain calm.
FAQ
Is broken sleep bad?
Broken sleep is seriously bad as it could hurt your physical, mental, and overall health. It can also cause mood swings.
Can broken sleep cause headaches?
Yes, frequent sleep interruptions are one of the causes of tensions that lead to migraine or headaches.
Why am I having trouble sleeping at night all of a sudden?
Having sudden trouble sleeping at night can be due to stress, lifestyle issues, poor sleeping habits, or certain diseases.
Is broken sleep better than no sleep?
Yes, it’s better to have broken sleep than have none. But consistently having it could be problematic.
Does broken sleep make you tired?
Yes, a broken sleep cycle can cause tiredness, which could lead to poor concentration throughout the day.