Maybe you think you’re a night owl and you believe that’s the reason you can’t fall asleep night after night. It’s actually more likely that you have a bad sleeping habit or two that are interfering with your ability to get a great night’s sleep.
Before you give up on ever waking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ask yourself if you have any of these bad sleeping habits. You just might discover that an easy tweak will lead you to nights filled with sweet dreams.
Bad Sleep Habit #1: You Have a Nightcap
Many people think that because alcohol makes them drowsy, it’s a good sleep aid. Not so — research shows that, although alcohol may help you drift off, it also diminishes the quality of your sleep overall, leaving you to start your day feeling as tired as you were when you crawled into bed.
Bad Sleep Habit #2: You Try to Play Catch Up
Think you can make up for the sleep you missed all week by sleeping in on Sunday morning? Think again. You can’t make up for lost sleep, and a big range of times for going to bed and waking up in the morning can interfere with your body’s ability to get into a healthy sleep rhythm. A better bet is to aim for consistent going to sleep and wake-up times for every day of the week.
Bad Sleep Habit #3: You Let the Light Shine In
Darkness is sleep’s best friend, but there’s a lot of sneaky light in most modern bedrooms. There are the blinking lights from your electronic devices and ambient light that comes in from the world outside, both of which can interfere with your ability to fall and stay asleep. Get shades that keep external light out and nix the glowing alarm clock for something a little less bright, and you might discover that you’re sleeping a whole lot better.
Bad Sleep Habit #4: You Have the Wrong Bedtime Snack
There are many old wives’ tales about the right thing to eat for sleep. But the key takeaway for you to know is this — you don’t want a midnight snack that is hard work for your body to digest. So skip heavy evening eating and avoid the pre-sleep perk-up that a sugary treat will give you. Aim for complex carbohydrates and a little lean protein (think: a non-sugary cereal with low-fat milk) instead.
Bad Sleep Habit #5: You’re a Binge-Watcher
Light from a TV or a laptop screen can affect your body’s ability to “feel” day or night, upsetting your circadian rhythm and making it harder for you to fall asleep and wake up on time. The jury’s still out on “blue-light-blocking” items for helping you sleep, which means your best bet will be to create a time buffer between turning off your devices and letting your brain wind down from the day so you can prepare for sleep.
Bad Sleep Habit #6: You’re Doing a Workout That Wakes You Up
If you think working out before going to bed will make you tired, consider that a late-evening sweat session might be giving you just a little too much energy before falling asleep. If you missed your morning gym time or you got out of work too late for an early evening session, consider trying more restorative exercise, like gentle yoga stretching or a relaxing moonlight stroll, to help you relax into rest.
Bad Sleep Habit #7: You Have Your Last Coffee Too Late in the Day
Keep drinking coffee right up until the last few hours before you hit the sack and you’re sacrificing a great night’s sleep. Caffeine can linger in your system for hours longer than you might expect; that 3 p.m. latte might be the culprit that’s keeping you awake every night. Plan to have your last coffee 12 hours before your bedtime to ensure it’s not interfering with your sleep.
As you’ve seen, most sleep-stoppers are more subtle than you’d expect. Try these tips for drifting off and remember to give your body time to adjust to the change. But if sleep is still elusive, talk to your doctor about the best way for you to catch some Zzzzs.
Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. Readers should consult a physician or certified medical practitioner in matters relating to health (including but not limited to medical issues, nutrition, allergies and/or fitness), and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.
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