Not sure why you can’t fall or stay asleep? Here are some likely causes.

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Sometimes, there’s a major obstacle between you and a good night’s sleep such as caring for small children, chronic pain or discomfort, or a job that requires you to work at night. Dealing with one of these? Reach out to your coach, who can guide you toward positive steps.

Otherwise, if you struggle to fall or stay asleep, it’s likely that one or more of the factors below are infringing on your shuteye. Read up on the factors that may be impacting you and what you can do about them, starting tonight.

Which sleep disruptors might be affecting you? Which could you potentially change?

• Using digital devices before bed

Watching TV or using your phone at night can feel like a harmless, entertaining habit, but it may be keeping you awake. Using devices distracts you from sleep, and light emitted by digital screens may suppress melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle.

To sleep better, consider shutting down your phone, your laptop, your tablet, and your TV an hour before bedtime — polls show that people who use devices 60 minutes before bed have the hardest time falling asleep. Make sure everything is in do-not-disturb mode so you won’t be woken up by pings, chimes, and suddenly bright screens.

Drinking before bed may help you doze off faster but can lead to low quality sleep later in the night, and cause you to wake up more.

Stay Aware of Sleep Apnea

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Be on alert for this common disorder, so you can address it quickly.

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Have you heard of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? It’s an extremely common sleep disorder that often goes unnoticed. Half of all people with hypertension are estimated to have the disorder.

Sleep apnea is an interruption in breathing during sleep that can last 10 to 120 seconds and may occur up to 30 times or more each hour. OSA is caused by a blockage of the airway, typically when soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses and closes. That blockage prevents you from breathing. As oxygen levels drop, your lungs automatically trigger a big intake of air. To someone else in the room, this can sound like choking or coughing.

When your body is repeatedly deprived of oxygen, it triggers a stress response that drives up your blood pressure and blood sugar, increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes, and making it harder to manage hypertension. Day to day, sleep apnea disrupts and prevents restorative sleep, leaving you tired and groggy.

What causes OSA? In adults, a common cause is being overweight or obese, as increased fat deposits in the neck can block the upper airway. Drinking alcohol and smoking are also contributing risk factors.

Below are symptoms that may indicate you have OSA:

When You’re Awake	When You’re Asleep
You feel tired, despite getting to bed at a decent hour	Snoring loudly
Not being able to concentrate	Tossing and turning
Being forgetful	Coughing or choking
Having a morning headache	Getting up to urinate frequently
Having a sore throat in the morning	Sweating heavily

If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your primary care provider. There are many effective treatments for OSA, including weight loss, reducing nasal congestion, and using devices that keep the airway open.

Sleep Well!

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Sleep impacts nearly every aspect of your health and wellbeing.

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How have you been sleeping? If your answer is “not great,” we want to help you get your rest. Like eating nutritious food and staying active, sleeping an average of 7 to 8 hours each night can be game-changing for your physical and mental health.

Each night while you sleep, complex processes in your brain and body improve your ability to:

• Regulate blood pressure
• Heal and repair your heart and blood vessels
• Regulate hunger
• Repair muscle tissue
• Fight off infection
• Pay attention
• Make decisions
• Be creative
• Solve problems
• Control your emotions
• Cope with change

Sleeping fewer than 7 hours a night for even a couple of days will impair your functioning. Not getting enough sleep for weeks, months, or even years? That takes a serious toll.

Individuals who regularly sleep fewer than 7 hours a night are more likely to report having:

• Diabetes
• Heart attack
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Chronic kidney disease

If you’re struggling from lack of sleep, you’re in a big club. According to the latest national data from the CDC, on average, 35% of Americans sleep less than 7 hours per night. That means more than 1 out of 3 people are chronically sleep-deficient.

One strategy you may already be working on is getting regular exercise. A National Sleep Foundation poll of 1,000 people found that those who engage in any level of activity during the day reported sleeping better than those who didn’t exercise at all. Further research shows that exercise helps people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Aside from physical activity, let’s explore other changes — big and small — that will help you rest well.