Is sleep hygiene enough?
Improving your habits can be helpful, but for some people it may not always be enough to get your sleep back on track.
Your brain has a Sleep System and a Wake System
Sleep System
The sleep system sends signals that help you fall and stay asleep at night.
Sometimes your sleep system is not able to take over the wake system’s alert state, leaving your brain in an overactive state. This may be what’s causing your insomnia.
Wake System
When you wake in the morning, your brain sends signals that move it into an alert, or active, state.
This helps you stay awake during the day. If these signals don’t slow down at night, and you stay in an alert state, your brain is believed to be in a position of overactivity.
Insomnia may result if your wake system stays active when it’s time to sleep.
Your brain has a Sleep System and a Wake System
Your sleep system helps you sleep, and a wake system keeps you awake. As you age, your neurotransmitters or brain chemical signals may change, which may affect your sleep and wake systems. This could be a cause of insomnia.
Sleep System
The sleep system sends signals that help you fall and stay asleep at night.
Sometimes your sleep system is not able to take over the wake system’s alert state, leaving your brain in an overactive state. This may be what’s causing your insomnia.Wake System
When you wake in the morning, your brain sends signals that move it into an alert, or active, state.
This helps you stay awake during the day. If these signals don’t slow down at night, and you stay in an alert state, your brain is believed to be in a position of overactivity.
Insomnia may result if your wake system stays active when it’s time to sleep.
The stages of sleep
As you sleep through the night, your body goes through different stages in two parts—Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and NREM, or Non-REM (N1-N3) sleep:
REM Stage
Rapid eye movement (REM) generally occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep, and is the stage in which most dreams occur. Heart rate and blood pressure increase, and the eyes move quickly in different directions.Stage N1
A relatively brief transition period of light stage sleep. Can be somewhat alert and easily woken.Stage N2
Brain waves slow down in this stage of sleep.Stage N3
It is harder to be awoken in this stage of sleep. The body repairs muscle, tissue, and boosts immune function during this phase.Not getting enough sleep in different phases of sleep may result in feeling like sleep was not long enough. Many factors can contribute to disruption of sleep phases, including total sleep time, frequent awakenings, and sleep-wake cycles.
Talk to your health care professional to determine how to best address your insomnia.
Need more answers about insomnia?
Your lifestyle can affect your sleep.
Improving your habits may help you get back to a more regular sleep routine.
talk to your health care professional.
Your health care professional can help identify what’s causing your insomnia, potential treatment options, and other ways to take action.
Your health care professional can help identify what’s causing your insomnia, potential treatment options, and other ways to take action.
You can help take control of your insomnia today.
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