Better Sleep Part 2: I get plenty of sleep, but I’m still exhausted!
HELP! I AM EXHAUSTED EVEN THOUGH I SLEEP 7 OR 8 HOURS EVERY NIGHT!
IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE YOU, KEEP READING! YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO CHECK OUT PART 1 OF THIS SLEEP SERIES FOR MORE TIPS ON BETTER SLEEP!
Here are a few of the main reasons you may feel exhausted even though you're sleeping:
1) You're not actually sleeping for 8 hours
Being in bed for 8 hours is not the same as sleeping for 8 hours!
Also, being in bed from 9pm to 5am or 10pm to 6am is a very different 8 hours than midnight to 8am or 1am to 9am. Some even suggest that the hours before midnight provide twice as much restorative sleep than those after midnight. I can't find any actual studies to back this up, but personal experience tells me that I am certainly more well rested when I go to bed earlier!
Try moving your bedtime up slowly until you are falling asleep around 10pm and see if this changes your exhaustion.
You can also use a sleep tracker, but I would recommend one that doesn't have to be connected to WiFi or Bluetooth as those may interfere with sleep as well and would likely be counterproductive. The Oura ring can be put in airplane mode and then connected to a device in the morning to download the data. You may be able to find a discount code online or from a large health/wellness site.
2) Seven or eight hours of sleep is not adequate for you
I personally function much better on 8.5 or 9 hours of sleep per night.
This is especially true if you have been sleep deprived from an illness or a period of chronic stress or if you have children who wake you during the night! Interrupted sleep is not restful as all parents with young children know!
It is not a badge of honor to be able to "get by" on 5 or 6 hours of sleep. The lack of sleep will show up in deficits in memory, attention, and focus. Driving tired has also been compared to driving drunk.
You can also read more about the dangers of exhaustion in this excellent article about Matthew Walker's TED talk based on his best selling book Why We Sleep.
3) Your sleep is being disrupted
This can be from a child or spouse that wakes you up, external noise or light, or something more serious like sleep apnea.
If it is a child or spouse, then take appropriate measures to reduce this interruption. It may mean getting your spouse to address their sleep habits too or working with your child to stay in bed longer (if age appropriate).
External noise and light can be reduced through noise machines, humidifiers, blackout curtains, eye masks, and ear plugs.
Sleep apnea is becoming an area of great interest due to its link to many health conditions. If you are exhausted all the time, grind your teeth, have been told you snore or gasp or breathe strangely during the night, please go get a comprehensive sleep study done! Dr. Steven Lin and Dr. Mark Burhenne are both excellent resources for more information on sleep apnea and its health implications.
Not everyone needs a CPAP depending upon the severity and cause of the apnea, but long term sleep deprivation and decreased oxygen to your brain is serious! It also impairs your glymphatic system which is like the waste removal system of your brain.
The glymphatic system works to remove waste (including the precursors to plaques implicated in diseases such as Alzheimer's) while you sleep. If you aren't sleeping, your brain isn't being cleaned!
4) You sleep with your mouth open
Mouth breathing can be a symptom of sleep apnea, so make sure you get evaluated for that with a comprehensive sleep study.
Mouth breathing is also associated with decreased oxygen because nitric oxide is produced in your sinuses. Nobody wants their brain being deprived of oxygen during the night!
If sleep apnea has been ruled out but you still wake with dry mouth or lips, you can try taping your mouth shut. I have been doing this for several months because I wear a bite guard at night that causes my mouth to come open. I can tell a huge difference in the quality of my sleep by allowing the tape to hold my mouth closed. I also seem to clench my teeth less when using mouth tape.
You can read more about mouth taping in this great article from Dr. Mark Burhenne. I personally buy paper tape from the first aid section of the store. It is inexpensive and works well. I place two strips vertically across my mouth, but you can experiment with vertical and horizontal placements and see what works best for you.
Paper tape does not work well for my husband so he uses Somnifix strips. They have completely eliminated his snoring, strange breathing, and tossing & turning.
5) You are sensitive to EMFs
Electromagnetic frequencies or EMFs are a commonly overlooked contributor to disrupted or nonrestorative sleep. For a comprehensive overview of EMFs, read this article by Wellness Mama.
A simple way to combat EMF exposure is to turn off all your electronics before bed including your WiFi router. I have mine on a simple light timer that turns the WiFi off at 9:30pm and back on 7:30am. You can choose whatever times work best for you. At the very least, put your phone in airplane mode at night.
Try replacing your phone alarm with a simple alarm clock. If you are very sensitive, you can try turning off the breaker to your bedroom at night. If this is helpful, an electrician can install a switch for you that will allow you to do this from your bedroom without having to go to the circuit breaker panel every night.
There are other exposures that aren't that simple to reduce such as your proximity to overhead power lines, cell towers, radio towers, your neighbor's wifi, etc. Obviously, if you are looking for a new home then trying to avoid huge sources of EMFs such as these is a good place to start.
If you already live near a source of EMFs, there are professionals who can come assess your home for exposure and offer suggestions for mitigation. This may include shielding your bedroom, installing a kill switch for all electronics in the bedroom, fixing sources of dirty electricity, and removing or shielding the smart meter on your house (Many electric companies will allow you to opt out of a smart meter for a fee. Yes, I know, you shouldn't have to pay to opt out of technology with unproven safety, but such is the current state of things).
If you are interested in a home assessment, you can search for a building biologist near your location or you can find more information from fellow NTP and geobiologist Brian Hoyer on his website Shielded Healing.
Disclosure: Some links to products may be affiliate links. I only recommend products that I have personally used and would recommend or use on myself or my family members. Affiliate links allow me to earn a very small commission when you shop through my link. This helps me maintain and keep this site updated as I prefer to avoid pop ups and ads.
If you've tried all of these things and are still exhausted, it is likely time to dig deeper into your underlying cause of exhaustion with a more comprehensive evaluation including labwork.