A Good Night's Rest

People might not realize that having a digestive disease can greatly affect a person's sleep. For me, my nausea kept me up late at night and caused me to wake during sleep. Then, I would sleep in late to make up for the lost time. Since my day started and ended later, my eating schedule was also later on in the day. When I would eat late at night, my digestion contributed to keeping me awake in addition to the nausea. I was consistently falling asleep late and waking up late. For a little while, I broke this pattern. Even after I broke the pattern, flare ups of nausea caused me to go back to my old sleeping and eating patterns. It is still something I am struggling with. There are a few things that helped me get back to a more regular schedule.

1. Don't Eat Before Bedtime

Sleep and digestion are controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system, a branch of the autonomic nervous system. With that said, they are separate processes. Falling asleep is much harder after eating because the body is still digesting the food. Finishing eating for the day at least 3 hours before bedtime can aid in falling asleep.

2. Avoid Bluelight

Electronic screens like those in television, smartphones, and computers emit blue-light. This type of light inhibits the body's release of melatonin, which induces sleep. It also increases alertness, causing a person to feel awake at night. 

3. Create a Routine

Having a relaxing night time routine can help transition your body from being awake and active to sleeping. Creating a pattern before bedtime can help the body to recognize when it is time to fall asleep, causing a person to fall asleep quicker.

4. No Napping

Napping disrupts the body's natural sleeping pattern. A nap might seem helpful after a restless night, but in actuality it could cause another night of little sleep.

5. Set an Alarm

No matter how little you sleep the night before; no matter what time you fall asleep, wake up at the same time every morning. It may take a few days, but the body will start to feel sleepy earlier in the day, and therefore start to turn back the clock.