Think Twice About Sleeping Through Your Alarm (And How To Prevent It)

If you're in the habit of hitting the snooze button and willing yourself out of bed most mornings, it could be a sign that you're not getting a good night's sleep. Yet, if that sounds like you, you're not alone. An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans experience continuous sleep disorders, according to the experts at Sleep Foundation.

Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who studies sleep at the University of Rochester, tells the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that a good night's sleep is vital for brain health. Besides allowing time for your brain to remember and create, experts believe your brain may also be performing some self-repair during sleep  by removing harmful toxins that can cause Alzheimer's disease. The NIH also reports that we require a good night's rest to improve the quality of our mood and general health. Additionally, those who sleep poorly on a consistent basis put themselves at greater risk of heart disease, strokes, obesity, dementia, and other medical conditions. Sleep disorders such as insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, and disruptive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, seasonal affective disorder, and depression can all have an impact on sleep quality, per Sleep Foundation. 

However, the good news is that there are numerous options you can implement to set yourself up for success for a night of quality sleep, so when that alarm goes off, rather than hitting the snooze button, you'll be ready to hop out of bed and hit the shower.

If your daily diet consists of unhealthy foods or late, heavy dinners, this routine may be affecting your sleep quality. It probably comes as no surprise, but the experts at the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) report that eating a healthy diet, especially at night, is likely going to have a positive impact on your sleep patterns.

For instance, you are more likely to experience poor sleep if you consume foods low in fiber and high in fat or protein, especially right before bedtime. Since your digestion slows at night, you may feel full and uncomfortable, which can lead to sleep disruption. And unless you enjoy a bout of heartburn, you should also avoid eating spicy foods at night, especially if you have obstructive sleep apnea, since the acid from the heartburn can lead to additional discomfort in your airway. Also, avoid caffeine too close to bedtime since it is a stimulant, per NSF.

Instead, stick to the kinds of fresh foods that make up the Mediterranean diet, many of which contain the chemical serotonin, the hormone melatonin, and vitamin D, all of which may contribute to promoting high-quality sleep (per Harvard Health Publishing). For instance, a healthy dinner consisting of salmon topped with sesame seeds along with a side of dark leafy greens could be just the ticket to send you off on a blissful trip to la-la land.

With active days often come active minds, worry, and stress. Going to bed at night while thoughts are flying through your head is not the best way to begin a night's sleep.

Mindfulness has become a big buzzword in recent years. Fundamentally, it is about permitting yourself to focus on awareness without judgment. For instance, if you become aware that you're stressed out, that is a basic observation. From this position, you can make grounded, thoughtful choices. However, if you notice you're stressed and think it means there's something wrong with you, that's a false and demoralizing judgment. Mindfulness is about "pressing the pause button" between an event and your reaction to it. The mindful pause is where you can make conscious choices. It's the space where the potential for growth lives, per Forbes Health.

Mindfulness meditation is a useful tool as you prepare yourself for sleep, especially when your mind is on autopilot. The experts at WebMD explain that mindfulness meditation is an excellent technique to help you doze off into blissful sleep. It's a simple process that only requires two steps. First, invite a sense of calm through a series of slow, deep breaths or by repeating a positive affirmation silently or aloud. Emitting elongated "om" sounds can also produce tranquility. Then, relax. If thoughts come (and they probably will), simply notice them, but don't cling. Let them move along like passing clouds. Don't judge yourself if your mind wanders. Stay calm and accept this as a natural part of the process.

If you've implemented improvements in your life to level up your sleep quality but still experience insomnia, it may be time to look at your mental health. You may be caught in a cycle involving poor sleep combined with depression or anxiety.

Experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine explain that there is a close link between depression and sleep. Some 75% of individuals who report having depression also have trouble falling and staying asleep. Poor sleep could increase your vulnerability to the kind of difficult emotions that lead to depression, Johns Hopkins sleep researcher Patrick H. Finan, Ph.D. says. Conversely, depression could also be the starting point that leads to poor sleep quality. Those who experience insomnia could be 10 times more likely to develop depression, and so the cycle is bi-directional. Consequently, you should take sleep problems seriously and consult a doctor sooner rather than later if falling or staying asleep is a consistent problem, you experience tiredness throughout the day, or if you have any physical or medical conditions that prevent you from getting a restorative night's rest.

To support your mental well-being as you prepare for bed, the mental health team at Novum Psychiatry advises avoiding caffeine and engaging in a brief meditation to help set you up for success. If anxiety or depression symptoms persist and impact sleep, they suggest asking your mental health provider if cognitive behavioral therapy or medication can help your situation.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

If you take medication, there may be side effects that cause your sleep issues. Though certain medications have side effects that can cause drowsiness in certain people, the pharmacist team at Express Scripts explains that the opposite is also true, with certain types of medication sometimes causing a feeling of restlessness. For instance, if you use an asthma inhaler, there is a chance that the medication can cause anxiety, restlessness, or jitters in some people enough to impact sleep quality. Common cold medications can also have the same effect.

Beta-blockers, a class of medicines that impact cell activity and are prescribed to people who require treatment for their heart, circulatory system, nervous system, and other bodily functions, may lower your body's melatonin levels and consequently induce nightmares that cause you to awaken. Additionally, medications containing caffeine, such as weight-loss pills, can keep you awake. If you are trying to stop smoking using aids containing nicotine, these products can also cause sleep issues.

For individuals with type 2 diabetes taking the medication metformin to help control the glucose in their blood, the American Association of Retired Persons reports that some may experience sleep disturbances. Also, some individuals with dementia who take "wake-promoting" medication to boost alertness may have sleep issues.

To improve these or any other types of situations, it's best to talk to your doctor about lowering the dosage or applying different approaches to help reduce sleep disruption.

Our smartphones and tablets have turned into extra limbs for many of us. However, most experts believe that gluing your eyeballs to screens too close to bedtime is a big no-no.

A major downside of screens is due to the light they produce. Joanna Cooper, M.D., a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist with the Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation, tells Sutter Health that the light from the screens stimulates the part of the brain that tells us to stay awake. She explains that the pineal gland in the brain promotes sleep through the secretion of the hormone melatonin as daylight dims into the evening. The blue light that emanates from screens is particularly disruptive. Blue is the color associated with the most active part of our sleep cycle, suppressing melatonin and making it challenging to turn off our brains and fall asleep. 

Moreover, evening texting, television watching, or playing video games are stimulating and keep the brain wound up, potentially leading to adrenaline rushes when you should be establishing a sense of calm. So put screens away at least an hour before bedtime. Additionally, the experts at Raising Children Network advise parents to encourage children to meet with friends in person during the day instead of over screens in the evening and to engage in physical activity to make them more tired at night. Lastly, keeping devices in a different room overnight will help promote better sleep hygiene.