Having trouble sleeping?

When you wake up from a good night’s sleep, you may feel like you can take on the world. But after a night of tossing and turning or waking up every hour on the hour, opening your eyes may feel like the most you can accomplish all day.

While occasional sleeplessness might just leave you feeling sluggish the next day, frequent problems falling asleep and staying asleep can lead to more serious conditions, such as sleep deprivation.

“Sleep is your opportunity to recharge the body,” said Katie Throop, a researcher and registered dietitian working on Nutrilite™ products. “The right amount of sleep supports overall health and wellbeing, including your immune system and your mental health.”

Why can’t I sleep? Reasons you may be having trouble sleeping

“Why can’t I sleep?” It’s a question many of us occasionally ask ourselves while we’re staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night.

Everyone has occasional sleepless nights for a variety of reasons. It could be a new baby keeping parents up, a project that has you working into the wee hours, or the stresses of the day preventing you from falling asleep.

Your lifestyle habits can also contribute. How late in the day are you having your last cup of coffee or other caffeine-laden drink? Do you have large meals before going to bed? How many alcoholic drinks are you having at night? Do you have a stressful job or homelife? Do you scroll on your phone before bed? And do you take long naps during the day? All these things can contribute to poor sleep.

Trouble falling asleep vs. Trouble staying asleep

People who occasionally have trouble falling asleep might start worrying as soon as their head hits the pillow. Maybe they’re ruminating about the day’s events, wishing they would have said or done something differently. Or they could be fretting over what lies ahead tomorrow—a job interview, a class assignment, an important meeting or deadline.

Then there are those who occasionally have trouble staying asleep. They fall asleep easily only to be woken up several times by a need for the bathroom because they drank too much before bed. Or they get a solid 4 hours of sleep only to wake up hours before their alarm.

While occasional sleepless nights are normal, multiple nights of sleep problems can lead to a more serious condition of sleep deprivation, characterized by a consistent lack of sleep—fewer than seven hours of shut eye a night on a regular basis.

Impact of poor sleep

Everybody needs sleep to function at their best. Sleep allows your body to recharge and perform all kinds of repair and maintenance. When we don’t get the sleep we need, it shows. Although not quite as serious as sleep deprivation, occasional sleeplessness can result in irritability, feeling tired in the daytime, forgetfulness and clumsiness, for starters.

Sleep deprivation and your immune system

Could sleep deprivation actually make you sick? The short answer is yes. Studies have shown that when you don’t get enough rest, your body is more susceptible to any viruses you might be exposed to, making it harder to fight off everything from the common cold to infections.

“Getting a good night's sleep is the foundation for a strong immune system and the body’s natural ability to build virus-fighting antibodies,” Throop said. “Our immune systems operate best when we’re well rested. And it’s a delicate balancing act—a normal immune response like fighting off a cold can make it more difficult to sleep.”

Sleep deprivation and weight gain

Running short on sleep could be a precursor to packing on the pounds. The amount of sleep you get affects your body’s levels of ghrelin, an appetite stimulant, and leptin, which sends your brain the signal that you’ve had enough to eat.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body makes less leptin and ramps up production of ghrelin. The situation is compounded because sleep deprivation can leave you feeling sluggish and too tired to exercise. If you get locked into a pattern of reduced physical activity and an increasing appetite, weight gain is likely to follow.

Sleep deprivation can muddle the mind

Getting a good night’s sleep is key for optimal brain function. When we sleep, pathways are forged between neurons in our brain, allowing us to retain new information and keeping us mentally sharp. But a sleep-deprived brain can’t do this.

When our brain is tired, things get foggy. We might not be able to concentrate on our work or follow along with conversations. This makes it difficult to complete even our regular tasks let alone focus enough to learn new things.

What to do when you can’t sleep

Some people who frequently have trouble sleeping or are feeling the effects of sleep deprivation could suffer from an undiagnosed sleep disorder. But for those of us who only experience occasional sleeplessness, making some changes in lifestyle or our environment might help reset our body clock so we can get the quality sleep our bodies need.

“Start with why you are having problems sleeping,” Throop said. “If your mind is restless because you are experiencing other mental health issues, talk to a doctor. If not, think about your lifestyle and what you’re doing before you go to bed.”

Consider eliminating that late afternoon caffeine jolt, minimizing screen time at the end of the night and avoiding late meals.

“Exercise and physical activity can improve the quality of your sleep, too,” Throop said. “People who are active during the day fall asleep easier and wake up less throughout the night.”

An ideal sleep environment and a regular sleep schedule can also help. Aim to go to bed around the same time each night, following the same routine to signal your body that it’s time to wind down. Maybe it includes reading, meditation, your nightly skin care regimen or using essential oils.

What you eat can also play a role. Research has shown that certain vitamins or minerals support healthy sleep, another reason to make sure you’re eating a balanced diet heavy with fruits and vegetables.

You can also consider a sleep supplement. Many contain valerian, which may ease occasional sleeplessness. Others have melatonin, lemon balm or additional calming ingredients that can help you relax so you can fall asleep.

They also come in a variety of formats, including tablets, capsules, teas or gummies, like n* by Nutrilite™ Sweet Dreams – Sleep Gummies. These blueberry-lavender flavored gummies are made with melatonin, magnesium and passionflower. Melatonin is found naturally in the body and helps speed up the time it takes to fall asleep, while magnesium helps the body’s ability to metabolize nutrients.

“Getting enough sleep each night is so vitally important to our overall health,” Throop said. “We need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to safeguard our rest.”