It’s time to stop losing sleep due to poor sleep.
Sleep is vital to physical and mental well-being – it’s essential for brain function, athletic performance and recovery, mood regulation and immune system support. We all know that napping for less than seven hours a night can make us cranky and restless—and look like we’ve been struggling.
“I know how frustrating it can be to wake up feeling exhausted,” MaryBeth Ayer, a Massachusetts-based holistic practitioner, said recently on TikTok.
Ayer suggests that high levels of cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, may be to blame. Elevated cortisol can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, muscle wasting, mood swings, increased risk of diabetes, and sleep problems.
Ayer says if you have at least three of the following 10 problematic bedtime behaviors, you should see a doctor to get your hormones checked.
10 bad sleeping habits
- Waking up most nights between 3 and 4 am
- Experience intense, stressful dreams
- Excessive sweating
- Having racing thoughts before bed
- Notice pain in your shoulder, neck, or wrist when you wake up
- You feel tired throughout the day but awake when it’s time to sleep
- Tossing and turning
- Grinding of teeth at night
- Overheating in bed
- Exhausted when you wake up
What to do if you sleep badly
Regular exercise, less caffeine, stress management and a healthy diet can help ease cortisol levels.
Ayer suggests eating Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and a banana an hour before hitting the hay. A small, protein-rich snack can help balance blood sugar levels to promote better sleep.
If you suspect you have Cushing’s syndrome, a rare disorder of excess cortisol characterized by weight gain, a round face, and weak muscles, you should see a doctor right away.
“Life & Beth” star Amy Schumer, 43, revealed earlier this year that she has Cushing’s syndrome.
She blamed her hormonal imbalance on “taking steroid injections high doses.” It is unclear why she was taking steroids.
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