Sleep is something every person needs to function properly, yet there is a high proportion of the population that struggles to find nurturing slumber habits. A lack of sleep affects pretty much everything from cognitive ability to reasoning and mental health, so check out the following bad sleeping habits that are bringing you down to see if you can avoid them in the future.
Dehydration
Dehydration causes lots of problems, and lots of these problems interfere with sleep. The link between dehydration and dry mouth is undeniable, and this problem alone can cause sore throats, general discomfort, and more. To stop waking up with a dry mouth for good, check out Somnifix. They provide useful tips and preventative measures and will help you to understand the value of proper hydration in terms of sleeping.
Food Before Bed
The optimum time for your evening meal is a clear three hours before you start to fall asleep. Why? The answer is simple. Eating any closer than this to bedtime interferes with your body’s natural functions. Digesting a large meal, such as your main one of the day, is hard work for your body and a complicated process. If you then lie down to go to sleep while your body is still doing this, it will be that much harder to relax, you may feel incredibly uncomfortable and it can cause heartburn because of the physical position of your body, i.e., lying down, which gives stomach acid easy access to your esophagus. Wherever possible, avoid late night snacking and any large meals.
Too Much Caffeine
Everyone knows coffee is a morning drink. It is the classic metaphor for feeling awake and refreshed, which is one of the main functions of a cup of coffee. However, that does not translate well into a night time routine. Sleeping is inhibited massively by a single cup of caffeine late into the evening. Just like with food, steer clear of this substance from the late afternoon if you want to stand a chance of falling asleep without a buzzing mind.
Lack of Routine
When children are little, one of the main focuses of parents is to get them into a good sleep routine. This same logic can be applied in adulthood. A strong sleep regime is something to strive for because your brain likes routine. Human beings are creatures of habits, and when you create healthy ones such as a nurturing environment and tick boxes before you go to bed, you are fulfilling a basic instinct.
Screen Time
It has become an almost universal habit for people to scroll through their phones, or watch a movie (or similar) before sleep time. However, this is in fact counterproductive to efficient winding down. Your eyes are stimulated by the blue light and enticing content, and your mind races to keep up too. Reading a book or listening to an audio podcast or similar is a much better route into proper sleep and will enable you to reach the all-important REM stage a lot faster and more sincerely.
Exercising at the Wrong Time
Exercise is great for many reasons, but when it is done late at night or a few hours before you need sleep, it can have a detrimental impact. The adrenaline and endorphins released during a workout are stimulating, and therefore while you may feel physically tired, your mind will still be racing. This, in turn, makes it that much harder to relax properly and get into the right head space for resting and recuperation.
It takes concentrated efforts to get yourself into a better sleep routine, but with the right tools, it is possible. Your quality of life and general health will thank you, and there is no better time to get started than now.
