Things That Do Not Make You Sleep Well

Individual sleep needs vary, but most people need seven to eight hours sleep to feel refreshed, says Dr. Ciaran Mulholland, at Net Doctor. If you are a light sleeper, or experience frequent insomnia, you may need to reassess your lifestyle and sleep environment to develop more effective sleep habits and associations. Dr. Chris Idzikowski, author of "Learn to Sleep Well," describes factors that can prevent you from achieving a good night's sleep as "sleep thieves." These factors include a range of environmental and physiological conditions and behavioral characteristics.

Sleep Environment

• Extremes of temperatures can disturb your sleep, especially temperatures that exceed 24 degrees C. The ideal temperature for restful sleep is 16 degrees C, says Idzikowski. Intrusive sounds, such as wailing car alarms, noisy neighbors, a snoring partner or a crying baby and a room that lets in too much light are factors that affect sleep quality and duration. Computers and televisions in your bedroom are distractions that can prevent you from sleeping well, says Mulholland. You may also sleep fitfully if your mattress is lumpy or more than 10 years old.

Mental Health Factors

• Nighttime mental discomfort may result from conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression. For example, you may have worries about work or money, which continue as mental chatter when you are trying to relax and go to sleep. Insomnia can result from an overstimulated, anxious mind that analyzes past events and dreads future scenarios. "Pent-up anger can give rise to major sleep disruption," says Idikowski. For example, if you experience an unpleasant incident during daytime working hours, you may continue to feel tense and angry at bedtime. According to Mulholland, about 80 percent of people who are suffering from depressive illness also experience sleep problems, such as frequent night time awakenings, as a result of their depression.

Physical Factors

• Pain and discomfort from ill health are common causes of sleep disturbance, while a sedentary or inactive lifestyle causes muscular tension and restlessness; however, although exercise may help you relax, you should finish exercising at least five hours before bedtime to let your body cool down, says Idikowski. Shift work and jet lag may disrupt the body's natural circadian rhythms, which act as "internal body clocks" and guide your sleep-wake cycle. Eating too late in the evening may cause heartburn and indigestion, especially if food is fatty or spicy. Stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine can cause insomnia, while alcohol also disrupts deep sleep. Some medications, such as antidepressants and antihistamines, can also reduce sleep quality, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Sleep Disorders

• Sleep disorders range from mild to severe. People who experience restless legs syndrome feel an irritating, "crawling" sensation on their legs when they try to relax. Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person's breathing passages become temporarily obstructed during sleep, which causes them to wake up frequently during the night. Night terrors disrupt deep sleep. They often start with a piercing scream that is accompanied by rapid heart rate and breathing and dilated pupils. They occur mainly in children and in a small percentage of adults, says Idikowski. Sleep paralysis is a frightening condition that occurs when someone wakes up before natural muscular paralysis has abated. Frequent nightmares and sleep paralysis are distressing experiences and may cause a person to fear sleep altogether.