Many factors can interfere with sleep quality.
Common causes include:
- Stress and worry
- Anxiety or depression
- Chronic pain or illness
- Certain medications
- Excessive screen use before bedtime
- Noise or light disturbances
- Lack of physical activity
- Irregular sleep schedules
In modern society, stress and lifestyle factors are among the most common contributors to sleep problems.
Sleep and stress: a two-way relationship
Sleep and stress are closely connected.
Stress can make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. At the same time, poor sleep increases emotional reactivity and reduces the body's ability to cope with stress effectively. This can create a cycle in which stress worsens sleep and poor sleep increases stress.
Improving sleep often has positive effects on mood, resilience, and overall mental wellbeing.