Psychological and Physiological factors that can affect our sleep

There are numerous factors that affect sleep. Some of them affect the quality of your sleep too. These factors can be both Psychology and Physiological. The psychological factors affecting our ability to sleep include changes within the body such as variations in brain functions when it goes through the stages of development or mental stress.

Physiological factors affecting our sleep include the food we eat, our sleep environment, the bedding and mattress we sleep on and the medications that we take. All these factors, separate or shared, have an influence on how well we sleep.

Have you struggled to sleep comfortably well for as long as you can remember? The first step to solving you sleep struggles is to figure out what is causing the effect on your sleep. Your sleep can be affected by numerous reasons including:

Light can impact sleep cycle

The retinas in our eyes respond to light changes and this happens due to the light cells. These cells are situated in the same areas of the eye which are accountable for vision. They tell the brain whether it is daytime or night-time so that it knows when to induce sleep. Unfortunately, since synthetic light foundations are all around us, it makes it tougher for the brain to process this information properly. This can lead to a muddled circadian rhythm, ultimately causing a reduction in our sleep time. It’s a good idea to get black-out blinds or curtains in your bedroom to ensure that you are getting a good amount of sleep, even when the daylight hours dawn on us far too early in the day.

Is your sleep pattern routine in sync?

Sleep patterns can change due to challenging work schedules. The way we work today has changed a lot and not necessarily for the better because we often sacrifice sleep to ensure we are working extra hard for our future. Due to the rise in consumerism, companies are forced to manufacture goods or provide services 24/7, which means that employees are required to work on various shifts. This relentless shift in work schedules can have a very negative influence on the body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Have you got a medical condition?

Medical conditions, both physical and psychological, can affect a person’s ability to sleep properly. This can be caused due to pain consequential from physiological problems such as arthritis, pre-menstrual syndrome gastric reflux, and a mass of other medical circumstances. Psychological issues like stress, depression, and anxiety are also known to hinder good sleep. People suffering from such psychological conditions, usually experience sleep only during the REM cycle. Since the human body is trained to respond to hostile situations by waking up, these psychological issues activate this sort of response making the person wake up.

Sleep deprivation has also been credited to the consumption of certain types of medication. These medications include alpha blockers, beta blockers, anti-depressants, and antihistamines. These medicines can have a substantial bearing on what affects sleep patterns. For instance, beta-blockers, which are used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure glaucoma, heart failure, or migraines, can cause low levels of REM and deep sleep. They are also answerable for triggering an increase in daytime sleepiness.

Do you often drink alcohol or caffeine?

Drinking alcohol and caffeine also affect our capability to sleep well. Adenosine is a biochemical that is fashioned by the brain and it is involved in encouraging sleep. Caffeine constrains the production of this chemical, thus thwarting us from sleeping. Alcohol, though capable of inducing sleep does not help with the quality of sleep you get.

Have you got the best mattress and bedding?

If you are finding yourself struggling to sleep daily, yet you cannot think of any physiological or psychological factors mentioned above that are contributing to poor sleep, then it could simply be that your bedding, mattress, and pillows are not quite right for you.

Why do we think the Ely Mattress would be ideal for people struggling to sleep? It’s because of the technology and research that has gone into building a mattress that will be great for your mind, body and health.

We’re big of using natural materials to ensure you are not sleeping on any toxic materials that may hinder your natural sleeping chemicals. We also ensure that the technology used to create our mattresses can contour to your body type and align your spine for the best peaceful sleep ever.

Want to give the Ely mattress a go? We offer a no quibble, 30-night sleep trial. So, if you don’t love it by then, you can simply return it.

Shop the Ely Mattress over here.