Do you long for the days when falling and staying asleep was easy? Aging not only affects your appearance but may alter your usual sleeping schedule. If you’re exhausted due to sleep issues, Bradenton, FL, sleep specialist Dr. Jeremy McConnell can help you get the sleep you need.
Issues that may affect your sleep
Problems with the quality or duration of sleep can be caused by:
- Aches and Pains: Arthritis or other chronic conditions can make sleeping soundly difficult.
- Illnesses and Medications: Heart disease, asthma, acid reflux, and other diseases and conditions can also interfere with sleep. Some medications may keep you awake or affect sleep quality.
- Stress and Depression: Stress, anxiety, depression, or grief can affect your ability to relax at night. If you can’t stop thinking about the stressors in your life, it’s much more difficult to fall asleep.
- Alcohol Use: After a few drinks, you probably feel a little drowsy and ready to sleep. Unfortunately, you may be wide awake after this effect wears off in a few hours.
- Bathroom Trips: The older you are, the less likely you may be to sleep through the night without making a trip to the bathroom. Once you return to your bed, it might be hard to fall asleep again.
- Naps: If you’re not getting enough sleep during the night, a nap may sound like a good idea. Taking long naps may actually make it more difficult to sleep well at night.
- Sleep Stage Changes: Older people spend less time in deep sleep and wake up more often during the night than younger people.
- Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing multiple times during the night. Although these pauses only last a few seconds, they disrupt sleep and may increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Fortunately, your Bradenton sleep specialist can help you find treatments and solutions to these and other sleep problems.
Don’t let sleep issues affect your life. Call your sleep specialist in Bradenton, FL, Dr. McConnell, at (941) 792-8383 to schedule an appointment.
