Do you wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to fall back asleep? Let’s talk about sleep maintenace insomnia

Sleep maintenance insomnia (waking up in the middle of the night & struggling to fall back asleep) is draining on your energy levels and disruptive for your quality of life.
Let’s talk about some common causes:
– Stress and mood disturbances: Racing mind? Your stress hormones may be waking you up! 
– Blood Sugar Dysregulation: Low blood sugar levels trigger adrenaline, which can contribute to wake ups.
– Hormones: when our estrogen and progesterone decrease, we are at an increased risk for sleep disruptions, this is common during your PMS window, perimenopause and menopause. 
– Frequent Urination: Overdoing fluids in the evening, alcohol before bed, anxiety, constipation and prostate health changes can cause frequent wake ups. 
– Sleep Apnea: snoring, abnormal breathing patterns and daytime sleepiness are some signs of sleep apnea which impact your quality of sleep. A sleep test evaluates sleep apnea. 
– Alcohol: alcohol may contribute to drowsiness (helping you fall asleep) but it alters your sleep quality. Alcohol contributes to dehydration, frequent urination, blood sugar shifts and sleep pattern disruption (REM & deep sleep). 

The best treatments for sleep maintenance insomnia include cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). CBT-I aims to alter maladaptive bedtime cognitions and behaviors, alleviate dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, and establish sleep-promoting practices. Specific components of CBT-I include sleep restriction, stimulus control, relaxation techniques, and cognitive restructuring.

Otherwise, it is important to address other underlying issues in order to promote more restful sleep. Our goal is to wake up feeling refreshed!