Beat the sleep stealers

It's bedtime, and Valerie Baadh Garrett, 55, can't sleep. This isn't unusual—or hasn't been since she hit menopause. "Even something as subtle as my husband shifting his position can wake me and keep me up for hours," she explains. "It's so frustrating."

Valerie is hardly alone. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 67 percent of women have sleep problems on a regular basis, and 46 percent say they have trouble getting shut-eye almost every night. Unfortunately, lack of sleep can do more than just make you cranky. Research has linked it to a host of health problems, such as obesity, diabetes and a weakened immune system. The latest news: Lack of sleep can double your risk of dying from heart disease.
The key to getting quality rest on a regular basis (and staying healthy) is figuring out what's causing your insomnia right now. Check out our list of surprising sleep stealers and expert advice on how to stop them.

1. A medical condition

If you can't fall or stay asleep most nights of the week, chances are insomnia isn't your only issue. According to a report from the University of Oklahoma, 75 to 80 percent of people with chronic sleep problems suffer from another health condition. After all, it's hard to sleep if your joints are aching from arthritis, you're drenched from night sweats or you're always sneezing from allergies. Common culprits for women include undiagnosed sleep apnea, a condition in which you stop breathing for as long as 30 seconds at a time during the night, and restless leg syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes an urge to move your legs while you're asleep. Various medications can also cause sleep disturbances.

2. Noise and light

These sound like no-brainers, but what you may not realize is that even the slightest sound or glimmer of light can be enough to interfere with the most restorative stages of sleep (rapid eye movement, or REM) and your body's production of melatonin, a hormone that helps lull you into dreamland, says Joyce A. Walsleben, Ph.D., diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine. "Even the glow of a digital clock or television noise from down the hall can get in the way," says Richard Gelula, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, DC.

Ideally, complete darkness is best (try blackout curtains/shades or an eye mask). When it comes to noise, a fan on a constant speed or white-noise machine can help block out traffic and a snoring bedmate. But skip the nature sounds or a soothing talk show host: Your brain registers changes in tone, even if they're slight, and this can wake you.

3. Caffeine

You know that caffeine keeps you up, but you may be surprised at just how long it can affect you. Caffeine can take seven to eight hours to work its way out of your system, says Dr. Walsleben. "If you have trouble sleeping, cut it off by noon."

4. Alcohol and cigarettes

A nightcap may make you sleepy initially, but it delays the start of your first REM cycle, so you may end up having fewer of them during the night and won't feel well-rested, says Dr. Walsleben. Drinking also can cause night sweats and wake you up to go to the bathroom. So don't overdo it, and make last call at least three hours before bedtime.

As for smoking, you can add insomnia to the long list of health problems it causes, since nicotine is a stimulant.

5. Bad sleep habits

You need a buffer between the activities of the day and sleeptime—and watching TV until you doze off doesn't count. Start winding down at least an hour before bed. The key is to make pre-bedtime quiet—so ban newspapers, television or anything stressful. Give pillow-hogging pets the boot, too.

As for the bedroom itself, keep it a comfortable temperature (around 69 degrees is ideal), use comfy linens and pillows, and clear the clutter. "Use the bed just for sleeping and for sex," says Michael H. Silber, M.D., past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

To help figure out what you may be doing wrong, keep a sleep diary to track what you're doing before you hit the sack, and how ready you feel for bed both physically and mentally. Download one at shuteye.com (click on "Sleep Solutions" and then "Discover Patterns").

6. Your genes

Another thing to blame on Mom (or Dad): A predisposition to being a night owl or early morning person can be inherited, explains Dr. Walsleben. Certain sleep disorders (like narcolepsy, which causes an overwhelming urge to fall asleep sporadically during the day) have a genetic component.

Your anatomy is also largely dictated by your genes, so if obesity, a receding jaw or a deviated septum (which makes breathing difficult) run in your family, you may be more prone to problems such as sleep apnea.