{"id":6347,"date":"2019-05-14T11:05:55","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T15:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/?p=6347"},"modified":"2019-05-17T04:07:23","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T08:07:23","slug":"external-factors-influence-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/2019\/05\/external-factors-influence-sleep.html","title":{"rendered":"External Factors that Influence Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not getting enough sleep can have a negative effect on pretty much everything in your life, from work performance to personal relationships. There are a number of factors that can interfere with quality sleep. They can be either internal or external. You\u2019re most likely already familiar with internal factors, which include stress, anxiety and body aches. However, in order to improve your quality of sleep, you will need to get familiar with the external factors as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Light<\/strong><\/p>\n

Light has a huge effect on sleep quality. You won\u2019t be able to feel well rested if you\u2019re exposed to bright light. Note that your body clock changes depending on your surrounding environment. When you\u2019re exposed to darkness, you will automatically start feeling tired. Similarly, brightness can help trick your body clock into thinking its day. Keep in mind that <\/span>exposure to light stimulates feelings of alertness<\/span><\/a> and wakefulness, while increasing your energy levels as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since there is no way to get a good night\u2019s rest when you\u2019re exposed to light, you\u2019ll need to make sure you avoid using electronic devices while you\u2019re in bed. By being surrounded by darkness, your body will receive the signal that it\u2019s time to sleep. In case you need a source of light to find your way to the bathroom, you should get a nightlight with a red bulb. The <\/span>color red won\u2019t have any negative effects<\/span><\/a> on your quality of sleep because it\u2019s a different wavelength.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sleep Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Environmental factors are known for affecting sleep. This is the main reason why some people find it difficult to get a good night\u2019s rest when they move or visit a new place. Environmental factors include everything from the safety of your neighborhood to the comfort level of your bed. People who live in bad neighborhoods often experience high stress and anxiety levels because they\u2019re worried someone will break into their home while they\u2019re sleeping. Know that it will be nearly impossible for you to sleep well if you\u2019re stressed out. If you\u2019re having problems with stress before going to bed, you can try doing deep breathing exercises to relax.<\/span><\/p>\n

In case you\u2019re uncomfortable in your own bed, it\u2019s time to purchase a new one. Despite the fact that they can be expensive, this is one of the most important purchases you can make. Since you spend roughly a third of your life sleeping, it\u2019s important to be comfortable. Getting a good bad will have <\/span>benefits<\/span> on both your physical and mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Night Shift<\/strong><\/p>\n

Working the night shift can cause a lot of problems for you because your body clock isn\u2019t able to work properly. While some people actually prefer working during the night, nearly everyone nods off if they stay up for too long. It\u2019s recommended you avoid long-term night shift work if possible. While doing it for a short period of time may not have any negative effects, several years in this shift will increase your risk of chronic diseases like obesity, ulcers, metabolic illnesses, and heart disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

Improving Your Quality of Sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n

If any internal or external factors are interfering with your sleep, you\u2019ll need to find ways to improve your quality of rest. A simple way to do this is to start working out. In fact, it\u2019s recommended you go jogging before you hit the hay in order to experience deep sleep. It\u2019s also worth trying different supplements and remedies. For instance, <\/span>structured silver<\/span><\/a> is known for improving sleep quality. The great thing about using remedies and supplements is that they will also have positive effects on many other ailments and health problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make sure you watch your caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol intake before going to bed, as all of these substances are stimulants. It\u2019s also recommended you avoid eating big meals at night, since it may keep you up all night.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not getting enough sleep can have a negative effect on pretty much everything in your life, from work performance to personal relationships. There are a number of factors that can interfere with quality sleep. They can be either internal or external. You\u2019re most likely already familiar with internal factors, which include stress, anxiety and body…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":224,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-childrens-dreams"],"yoast_head":"\nExternal Factors that Influence Sleep - Dream Gates<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"External Factors that Influence Sleep - Dream Gates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Not getting enough sleep can have a negative effect on pretty much everything in your life, from work performance to personal relationships. 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He is the creator of Active Dreaming, an original synthesis of dreamwork and shamanism. Born in Australia, he survived three near-death experiences in childhood. He leads popular seminars all over the world, including a three-year training for teachers of Active Dreaming. A former lecturer in ancient history at the Australian National University, he is a best-selling novelist, journalist and independent scholar. His nine books on dreaming, shamanism and imagination include Conscious Dreaming, Dreamways of the Iroquois, The Dreamer's Book of the Dead, The Three \"\"Only\"\" Things, The Secret History of Dreaming, Dreamgates, Active Dreaming and Dreaming the Soul Back Home: Shamanic Dreaming for Healing and Becoming Whole. His most recent book is The Boy Who Died and Came Back: Adventures of a Dream Archaeologist in the Multiverse. Over the past 20 years, he has led seminars at the Esalen Institute, Kripalu, the Omega Institute, the New York Open Center, Bastyr University, John F. Kennedy University, Meriter Hospital, and many other centers and institutions. He has taught depth workshops in Active Dreaming in the UK, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Brazil and Austria and leads a three-year training for teachers of Active Dreaming. He hosts the \"\"Way of the Dreamer\"\" radio show at www.healthylife.net. He has appeared on many TV and radio shows, ranging from Charlie Rose and the Today show to Coast to Coast and the Diane Rehm show on NPR. His articles on dreaming have been published in media ranging from Parade to Shaman's Drum.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.mossdreams.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/author\/rmoss"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/224"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6347"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6348,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6347\/revisions\/6348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dreamgates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}