Why Are We So Exhausted if We're Spending More Time in Bed?

Lack of energy is now a nearly universal condition in the contemporary world where people are pressed for time in almost everything they do.

Funnily enough though, with technological advancement and clearly more time being spent in bed, people appear to be more tired than ever.

To resolve this, it is helpful to consider various aspects that affect the duration and the quality of our sleep.

The Quality Versus Quantity The Principle:

First of all, there is a need to take into account the quality of night resting. The cliché saying that more time spent in bed leads to more sleep is not necessarily true. Good sleep is one that is continuous and restorative with little interruption, the REM sleep stage that is crucial for the functioning of body organs and the deep sleep required for brain rejuvenation.

Such factors can interfere with these stages and result into increased duration of being in bed without the required restorative impacts. Potential sources of disruption are stress, anxiety, poor sleep hygiene, and pre-existing health conditions like sleep apnea.

There are always various impacts of stress and anxiety such as:

Stress is inherent in modern life and it affects sleep in a very critical manner. The presence of information, high job expectations, and other responsibilities put stress on the brain and keep it in a state of constant activity which does not allow it to rest during the night.

Anxiety and stress lead to multiple arousal during the night and shorten the stages of Sleep and so, although a person may wake up in the morning feeling like they have had enough rest, they are sleepy. Anxiety or stress means that the mind cannot be at rest and, therefore, even though one spends many more hours in bed, there will be no rest.

The Role of Technology:

Exposure to electronics, particularly before sleeping time is another major cause of poor sleep quality. Blue light emitted from devices affects the release of melatonin, a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle.

These disruptions are capable of postponing sleep onset and diminishing the quantity and quality of the sleep that is obtained. Also, exposure to mentally stimulating activities before going to bed prolongs the time needed to fall asleep and even if one spends several hours in bed they wake up tired.

Poor Sleep Hygiene:

There are certain practices that should be followed if one wants to have good nights’ sleep. There are various social and physical factors that affect sleep quality, including shift working, caffeine or alcohol intake before bedtime, and an unfavorable sleep environment that entails excessive light and sound and uncomfortable mattresses.

There is no doubt that having a regular sleep schedule, preparing a comfortable sleep environment, and staying away from anything that can excite the brain before going to bed can greatly help in improving the quality of sleep.

Lifestyle Factors:

Lifestyle factors also define the quality of sleep that people enjoy in today’s world. Finally, they found that inactivity, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise affects sleep.

Examples of the effects of physical activity include improved sleep because it helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, and reduced stress. On the other hand, physical inactivity often results in poor sleep and thus, tiredness is common among such people.

End Lines:

This is a condition that is characterized by waking up unrefreshed despite spending many hours in bed; this can be explained by various issues that affect sleep quality.

Although the number of minutes spent in bed is significant it is the quality of the sleeping time in bed which indeed defines our waking state as fresh or not. Many causes including stress, poor sleep schedule, use of devices at night, poor lifestyle and other health risks should be effectively dealt with in order to enhance the quality of sleep and reduce the feeling of tiredness.