Why Can’t I Sleep?

stewart why can't I sleepDo you walk around during the day feeling exhausted? Do you often have trouble focusing on tasks or even keeping your eyes open behind the wheel? If so, then you are clearly sleep deprived, but why can’t you sleep well? A number of factors, including your daily habits or possibly disorders such as sleep apnea, can lead to poor rest.

Try Our Quiz on Poor Sleep

  1. True or False: Certain foods and drinks can prevent good rest.
  2. True or False: Sleep apnea can cause daytime exhaustion.
  3. True or False: Your sleeping habits can impact your ability to rest.
  4. True or False: We have treatment designed to help you rest better.

Answer Key

  1. True. If you eat a large meal right before bed, or if you consume sugary or caffeinated drinks, you could have a hard time going to sleep easily. In addition, consuming alcohol before bed can prevent you from reaching the REM stage of sleep, which keeps you from resting well.
  2. True. Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder in which patients stop breathing for brief periods at night due to collapsed soft tissue in the throat and mouth. Despite having no memory of being woke up, this can happen hundreds of ties every night. As a result, patients with the disorder are often moody and exhausted during the day.
  3. True. Sleeping on your back instead of your side can make apnea episodes more likely. In addition, having an irregular sleep schedule (waking up and going to bed at different times) can prevent you from acquiring adequate rest.
  4. True. First, take a sleep assessment on our site and if the results say you’re at risk schedule an appointment for a diagnosis. We can assess the cause of your sleep issues and if necessary, recommend an oral appliance or possibly a CPAP machine.