Why You Can Trust CNET Light Sleeper? 4 Reasons Why and 5 Ways to Sleep Better
Light sleep isn't just a character trait; there's a biological reason that things easily wake you up.
- Certified Sleep Science Coach, Certified Stress Management Coach
People generally fall into one of two categories: light or heavy sleepers. They also tend to be two extremes: you can either sleep through construction right outside your window or a car starting around the corner will wake you up.
Light sleepers aren't just disturbed by noises -- smells, lights and temperature changes can also wake someone up. According to a 2019 YouGov survey, 51% of people said they were light sleepers.
Most people can grasp the concept of what a light sleeper is. But understanding why it happens is another thing entirely. Let's discuss the different factors that may cause someone to be a light sleeper. And if you stick around, I'll even give you a few tips on how to get rest as a light sleeper.
4 things that might make someone a light sleeper
An arousal threshold is how much stimulus is needed to wake someone up. While experts haven't determined the single reason why some people are light sleepers, there are several factors that contribute to someone having a lower arousal threshold.
Time spent in sleep stages
Some evidence suggests that one of the main differences between deep and light sleepers is how they progress through the sleep stages. The sleep stages are divided into two buckets: REM and NREM. The sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, with the stages getting progressively longer as you go through them.
- Stage 1: This is the lightest sleep stage. During this time, you're between being asleep and awake. It's the easiest stage to wake from. Your heart rate and breathing drop.
- Stage 2: Deeper sleep than the first stage, though you can still easily wake up. Your heartbeat slows down, your temperature drops and your muscles relax.
- Stage 3: Here is where you get deep, restorative sleep. This is the most difficult stage to wake someone up from. Tissue repair and growth happen during this stage of sleep.
- REM sleep: During REM sleep, the final stage of sleep, brain activity is similar to being awake. This stage is where dreaming and memory consolidation occur.
How long someone stays in the sleep stages can vary by person. That's where the divide between light and heavy sleepers appears. The arousal threshold is the highest during deep and REM sleep. Light sleepers (with a naturally lower arousal threshold) may not get enough deep sleep because they either don't get to deep sleep before waking up or don't spend enough time in that stage.
Brain wave activity
Sleep spindles are bursts of brain activity that happen during the early stages of sleep. They allow us to tune out disruptions while we sleep. Some research that measured sleep spindles on EEG tests has suggested that differences in the amount of sleep spindles may determine how much someone responds to sound while sleeping. People with more sleep spindles tend to sleep through loud noises. More research is needed to fully understand how sleep spindles impact our response to sound.
Sleep disorders
Another factor that may make someone a lighter sleeper is having a sleep disorder. For instance, sleep apnea is a disorder marked by frequent waking due to compromised breathing caused by the airways collapsing in on themselves. These breathing events interrupt sleep and keep you from achieving the ideal level of deep sleep.
Other sleep disorders that compromise your deep sleep include narcolepsy and restless leg syndrome. Both of which can disturb the normal procession of the sleep cycle.
Lifestyle factors
Just like things inside the brain determine what type of sleeper we are, your lifestyle influences the quality and duration of sleep you get. It happens in more ways than you might realize.
Things you are doing that may sabotage your sleep:
- Drinking alcohol or caffeine before bed can disrupt how easy it is to drift off and how long you stay asleep.
- Stress and anxiety can make it difficult to fall asleep in the first place because our brain is flooded with cortisol. Anxiety and sleep form a vicious cycle. Not sleeping enough makes anxiety worse, and elevated anxiety levels make it hard to fall asleep at all.
- Using your phone while you're in bed. Exposure to blue light at night suppresses the melatonin production in the brain, which is the hormone needed to fall asleep.
I'm not saying you have to change your life to sleep well. However, adjusting small parts of your lifestyle will make a big difference in your sleep quality.
5 ways to sleep well as a light sleeper
Improving your sleep isn't as easy as counting sheep. Understandably, it can become a frustrating process. Use these tips as starting points to find what helps you achieve the ultimate snoozefest.
Try a noise machine
I know what you're thinking; how am I supposed to fall asleep in the first place if there's noise in my room? Here's the thing, it's not the constant sound that wakes you up, but rather the sudden change in sound that can pull you from your dreams. Sleeping with noise helps mask outside distractions and sounds that may wake you up at night.
There are several popular sleeping sounds to use, including white, blue, brown and pink. If you're looking for an inexpensive white noise machine to start with, check out the Homedics Sound Spa white noise machine.
Use earplugs or noise-canceling headphones
If you're such a light sleeper that even noise machines don't work, you may want to consider sleeping with earplugs or headphones. It's important to use ones specifically designed for sleep so you don't injure your ear canals at night.
The best headphones for sleep will fit snugly in your ear and don't stick too far out. They also offer noise cancellation, good sound quality and comfort. When we reviewed the headphones for sleep, we found that the top choices on the market are Google Pixel Buds Pro and QuietOn 3.1.
Improve your sleep hygiene
When I say sleep hygiene, I'm talking about everything you do leading up to going to bed. It's the complete picture of your relationship with sleep. This can be as simple as putting your phone away before bed or as complex as integrating meditation into your nightly routine.
Easy checklist for good sleep hygiene:
- Keep your room cool. Experts suggest that the ideal temperature for sleep is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat can make it difficult to get quality sleep.
- Avoid food that is spicy and high in sugar before bed. If you need a nighttime snack, opt for nuts or fruit.
- Have a consistent bed and wake time.
- Add relaxing hobbies to your pre-bed ritual, like reading a book, taking a bath or journaling about your day.
Try natural remedies
If you need some help relaxing enough to drift off to sleep and want to stay away from sleeping pills, you should consider natural remedies. Most people reach for melatonin, but that sleep supplement can make some people groggy the next day.
Other natural remedies people use to sleep are CBD or herbal teas like chamomile and lavender sleep aids. No matter which option you choose, pay close attention to the ingredient label to ensure you're taking an appropriate amount.
Wear an eye mask
Noise isn't the only thing that can wake a light sleeper. Light is another distraction that can keep you from getting a good night's sleep. Sleep masks can help you block out light at night. If you've never worn one, they can take some adjusting to. It's a good idea to practice wearing it for a few minutes during the day so you can get used to how it feels on your face.
Too long; didn't read?
The world is really loud. From car horns to your partner moving around next to you at night, a lot can wake you up, especially if you're a light sleeper. You didn't choose this life; a large part of it is determined by what's happening in your brain. Some people just have a lower arousal threshold.
Just because you're a light sleeper doesn't mean you can't sleep well. Investing in sleep tech and ensuring a healthy nighttime routine will help you sleep through those pesky interruptions.