Do you find yourself frequently tossing and turning at night, finding it hard to settle into deep sleep? If you feel the need to change positions, kick your blankets, or alter your pillow placement just to fall into slumber, you might be experiencing restless sleep.
If you are a restless sleeper, your body finds it challenging to settle into a comfortable sleeping position. You may also feel tired after completing your eight hours of snooze.
"Restless sleeping" is not necessarily a sleep disorder or a medical term, but it surely is a stressful experience that you don’t want to encounter when getting shut-eye.
Let’s dive deeper into what restless sleeping is and some ways to improve your sleep quality.
What Does "Restless Sleeping" Mean?
Unlike insomnia or sleep apnea, restless sleeping is not a disorder or a medical term with a concrete definition. This means that the description of this term can be subjective or differ from one person to another.
However, people who are "restless sleepers" generally experience difficulty falling and staying asleep. Moreover, they always feel the need to toss and turn to find a comfortable sleeping position.
This is how restless sleeping may feel in a nutshell.
- Frequent tossing and turning at night
- Difficulty settling down in a comfortable sleeping position
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking up frequently in the middle of the night
- Difficulty achieving a deep sleep
- Feeling of restlessness
- Unsettled mind and frustration at not falling asleep
- Feeling of being mentally off when you wake up
Everyone has had restless nights, particularly during stressful nights, travel, or sleeping on an unfamiliar mattress. However, if this feeling persists, it will not only affect your nightly rest but also your daily functions.
Chronic sleep deprivation can cause a lack of concentration, mood issues, and performance issues. It can also have long-term health consequences, such as an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Feeling groggy after a restless sleep can also be dangerous for drivers.
While some episodes of restless sleep are normal, this experience is worth observing.
Is Restless Sleeping Normal?
It’s certainly normal to shift positions in your sleep. Difficulty in sleeping is also expected during the times that we mentioned above. However, if your sleep is frequently disrupted and you don’t feel rested anymore, it’s time to see a doctor.
What Causes Restless Sleeping?
Your physical and mental health can affect the quality of your sleep. At the same time, the quality of your sleep can affect your physical and mental health. Sleep disorders can also cause restlessness and difficulty settling on your mattress.
Stress and Anxiety
Stress is one of the most common causes of restless sleep and sleep deprivation. This includes stress from work, studies, the commute, or events that can disrupt your mind when trying to rest. Grief and depression are also detrimental to your sleep quality.
Taking care of your mental health can help you achieve tranquil sleep.
Back Pain
Back pain, whether acute or chronic, can take a toll on your sleep quality. When experiencing back pain, you may have a hard time finding the right sleeping position to keep you comfortable at night.
Poor Diet and Caffeinated Drinks
The wrong choice of foods and caffeine intake before going to bed can greatly affect your sleep. These include foods that are high in sodium, fatty meals, spicy dishes, and others that take time to digest. These can stimulate your brain and prevent you from reaching a deep level of sleep.
Insomnia and Sleep Apnea
Conditions like insomnia and sleep apnea can disrupt your sleep cycle and affect your physical and cognitive functions. Other sleeping disorders will also make it difficult to fall and stay asleep and can cause restlessness when you wake up.
Irregular Sleep Schedule
Travelling, sleeping on a different schedule on weekends or holidays can disrupt your circadian rhythm and cause restless sleep. When travelling, take some precautions to avoid jet lag or travel fatigue so that you can sleep well and have a pleasant journey.
Pregnancy
The changes in your body during pregnancy can disrupt your sleep. When pregnant, your body will receive more pressure due to the growing size of your stomach. The available sleeping positions that are comfortable for your body will also decrease. As we mentioned in our previous articles, we recommend side sleeping while hugging a pillow or placing a pillow between your legs to feel cosier during your pregnancy.
Poor Sleep Hygiene
Do you take long naps during the day? Do you keep your room dark in the morning and bright at night? Do you use your phone before sleeping? These simple habits can cause you to toss and turn at night.
Bad Mattress Quality
Maybe your mattress is too old for your needs. Or maybe it just doesn’t give you the comfort that you need. This will cause you to shift on your bed multiple times just to find the right spot or position to rest your body. No matter what the situation, a bad mattress is detrimental to your sleep health.
A good mattress for sleeping should not be lumpy, saggy, too contouring, or too bouncy for your needs. Shopping for the right mattress for your body type, sleeping position, and specific mattress requirements is paramount to ensuring a healthy night’s rest.
If you are a restless sleeper, we recommend getting a mattress that is spacious enough for you to stretch.
Mattress Sharing
Is your partner a restless sleeper? If yes, you might be familiar with the nightly disturbance when your partner tosses and turns. You might even end up feeling restless due to discomfort. Luckily, you can address this not through sleep divorce but by opting for a mattress with excellent motion isolation.
Dealing with Restless Sleep
Developing healthy sleep hygiene and using the right mattress for your sleeping position can help you improve your sleep quality. These include following a sleep schedule, decreasing your caffeine intake, regulating your screen time, eating healthy, exercising at the right time, and getting the right sleep solutions.
However, in other cases, you may need to visit a doctor to identify the underlying issue that causes your restless sleep.
Takeaway
Restless sleep can impact both your physical and mental health. It can affect anyone in different age groups. If you’re having difficulty sleeping, make sure to check your sleep hygiene and improve your surroundings. If you consistently suffer from sleep deprivation, consider seeing a doctor to find out what is causing your restlessness.
DISCLAIMER: All the information, including the texts, images, and other materials on this website, are for educational purposes only. Although we strive to present accurate information to our readers, no material on the Somnuz website is a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified medical professional with regards to your health. NEVER disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read in this article.