Did the hectic routine leave you tired but can’t sleep, and you want to know what the heck is going on?
Nothing is more frustrating than climbing into bed to get some beauty sleep but end up changing sides and an awakened night that leaves us even more tired, exhausted, and irked.
From anxiety to the wrong diet, numerous reasons can make you fall into the rabbit hole of frustration and sleeplessness.
So, if you want to find out what causes you to be tired yet sleepless and possible ways to turn the tables another way, keep reading till the end!
Why Am I Tired but Can’t Sleep? 6 Possible Reasons!
Struggling to fall asleep when we are extremely tired and exhausted is probably one of the worst experiences we all have at least once in life. But if you are persistently feeling tired but can’t sleep, there is something wrong that you need to find.
The top 6 factors you can blame for making you tired yet sleepless are:
1. Depression and Anxiety
The biggest barriers on the road to peaceful sleep are anxiety and depression. Studies show that there is a direct link between sleepless nights and anxiety.
Basically, anxiety leads to hyperarousal of racing thoughts that don’t let you sleep.
Moreover, the worst part of experiencing anxiety at night is that it disturbs the hormonal balance. It interferes with the circadian rhythm, and instead of decreasing cortisol and increasing melatonin, the reverse happens, leading to tired yet sleepless nights.
Similarly, according to the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 90% of the people diagnosed with depression experience bad sleep quality.
2. Blue Light Interference
Another reason why you experience tired nights deprived of sleep is your exposure to blue light just before bedtime.
Blue light is known to interface with the sleep-wake cycle of the human body. As a result, the brain doesn’t release melatonin, the sleep hormone, making you sleepless the whole night. In fact, research showed that blue light exposure between dusk and bedtime suppressed melatonin by 71.4%, leaving you with no chance of feeling drowsy.
Therefore, it is better to limit the use of mobile phones and all electronic media 2 to 3 hours before sleep.
3. Caffeine Consumption
Did you just have a latte in the evening? Then here’s your culprit.
All the drinks containing caffeine block adenosine and melatonin receptors present in the body, leaving you with struggling nights, deprived of sleep.
Since caffeine has a half-life of 4 to 6 hours, it is better not to consume it at least 6 hours before sleep or bedtime.
4. Sleep Disorders
Another possibility is that you are suffering from some underlying health or sleep issues like insomnia, delayed sleep phase syndrome, sleep apnea, etc.
Often, a tired body with an active mind full of unwanted thoughts at night are symptoms of insomnia.
So, it is better to get yourself evaluated. To detect whether you are suffering from any sleep disorder, you can download a sleep tracker like ShutEye that analyzes your sleep the entire night and generates detailed reports as soon as you shut it off about your sleep quality and problem (if any).
5. Diet and Exercise
Sometimes, a wrong lifestyle may lead to tired, sleepless nights. Wrong food choices at the wrong time affect the sleep cycle. For example, eating lots of sugary foods leads to less sleep and poor sleep quality.
Moreover, research shows that the more good diet you have during the day, the better and sound sleep quality you have.
Similarly, intense workouts before bedtime delay sleep by making the CNS active.
6. Longer Napping
Last but not least, maybe you are napping for a comparatively longer time during the day or evening.
Although taking a 20 to 40 minutes nap in the afternoon boosts the energy level, a longer nap delays sleep, leading to a frustrating night.
Therefore, try not to get deeper Zzzs in the afternoon.
What Is the Impact When You Are Tired but Can’t Sleep?
Feeling tired but can’t sleep has a far more negative impact on our body than we think. A few consequences and effects are:
- Stress
- Hormonal imbalance
- Bipolar disease
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Type 2 Disease
- Obesity
So, why not find some effective ways to enjoy the quality Zzzs once again?
4 Things to Try Out When Tired but Can’t Sleep!
Once you have found the root cause of your sleepless, tired nights, the next step is to implement some strategies that can alleviate your sleep–stimulators.
A few known strategies to try out are:
- CBT Sessions
The best and the most proven thing to try out is to get CBT sessions that not only address the factors that lead to sleepless nights but also teach you some tactics to establish a healthy connection between sleep and bed.
You can try the six weeks ShutEye CBT session, which analyzes your sleep problems and goals individually, and then strategies some tips accordingly.
- Relax and Meditate
Try to practice some relaxation exercises and meditation an hour before sleep. It helps to relax your tensed muscles, reduce stress, and calm your body.
As a result, you fall asleep faster. Moreover, you can also listen to white noise to further assist you in enjoying a healthy sleep.
- Avoid Blue Light
Similarly, a very effective strategy is to avoid contact with blue light at least 2 to 4 hours before sleep. It gives enough time for the sleep hormones to regulate and help you get a peaceful catnap.
- Change in Lifestyle
Lastly, you can try to change your lifestyle a bit. For example,
- Try not to consume more than 400 mg of caffeine daily
- Avoid drinking alcohol
- Add carbohydrates rich food to your diet
- Take a warm bath half hour before sleep
- Try yoga and breathing exercises
Final Verdict
If you are tired but can’t sleep, something is probably interfering with your sleep-wake cycle, like a bad diet, poor nap, or too much stress. However, it can also be a symptom of some underlying health issues.
Therefore, it is better to evaluate your sleep using ShutEye and catch the peaceful sleep back!