Although we can’t wait to go to bed and finally get some well-deserved sleep, that usually doesn’t happen. We end up tossing and turning and wake up in the morning feeling exhausted. This can significantly decrease our productivity at work, and repeated patterns can jeopardize our health.
Many things disrupt your sleep.
This post will list very surprising factors that prevent you from getting enough sleep.
Let’s see what they are.
Inconsistent Eating Habits
If you eat a healthy and balanced diet one night, then indulge in late-night snacks on other nights, you might ruin more than your waistline. According to a study conducted by Kristine Adam of the Edinburgh University Department of Psychiatry, inconsistent eating habits can harm your sleep. Results of the study, published in the journal Sleep, showed that departure from the person’s usual food intake pattern in the evening impairs subsequent sleep.
TIP: Consistency is the key. If you late-night snack, that’s okay but, you have to stick with it every day. If you believe you can’t do it, the best thing to do is to skip late night dessert.
Good Books
Watching TV before bed isn’t the best idea, which is why you opt for reading good books instead. According to scientists, this isn’t much help either. Why? It’s because reading well-written emotionally-engaging books before bedtime can lead to poor sleep quality. Intellectually demanding activities like engaging in a good book’s plot can wake your brain up, which means that instead of falling asleep, you’re wide awake longer than expected, thus impairing your sleeping pattern.
TIP: Save a good book for daytime or as a relaxing method after a difficult day at work. Before bed, opt for light-reading literature, something that isn’t intellectually demanding, e.g. entertainment magazines.
Over-Exhausting Yourself
Most people believe that the more tired they feel, the sooner they’re going to fall asleep. However, it’s possible to be too tired to fall asleep. How many times have you thought you’d sleep like a baby only to toss and turn in bed for quite some time?
TIP: When you have a long and exhausting day at work, stumbling to bed isn’t a good idea. Instead, stay up and read something, spend some time with your family, and you will soon feel that you’re naturally drifting off, which indicates it’s time for bed to get some quality sleep.
Drinking Tea with Lemon
Drinking tea at night is a healthier alternative to drinking coffee or having a nightcap. But, if you have the habit of squeezing lemon into your tea, it could make you sleepless. Why? It’s because the refreshing scent of lemon and other citrus fruits can boost mental stimulation and increase energy levels, which isn’t something you need before bedtime.
TIP: To get some quality sleep, opt to drink your tea at night without lemon. Also, you should avoid consumption of lemon-flavored or citrus-flavored drinks at night altogether. It would also be a good idea to avoid detergents and fabric softeners with lemon scents.
Going to Bed Hungry
Most lifestyle news usually says eating before bed is a NO-NO. However, going to bed hungry could prevent you from falling asleep. After all, hearing your stomach growling and feeling like there’s no absolutely anything in there will keep you up for hours.
TIP: If you feel really hungry, then you should eat something just to subside your hunger until the morning. Naturally, this doesn’t mean you should order pizza or raid your fridge. Also, try not to disrupt your eating habits. If you notice that you’re hungry every night at about same time, then opt for a healthy snack.
Smoking Before Bedtime
If you’re a smoker, then you probably don’t go to bed before smoking your cigarette first. This turns out to be a big mistake. Nicotine in cigarettes is a stimulant that makes it difficult for you to fall asleep.
Exercising Late at Night
Contrary to popular belief, exercising late at night isn’t going to improve your sleep. Why? It’s because our body temperature decreases at night, thus indicating it’s time for sleep. However, when you exercise, your body temperature increases, stimulating muscles, heart, and brain. In turn, you’re wide awake.
TIP: Exercising is beneficial for your health, and it’s recommended to be physically active. You can exercise before or after getting home from work at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Allowing Pets to Share Your Bed
We love our pets, but sharing the bed with them isn’t a good idea. Animals don’t have the same sleep cycle like us, which means they may be up and ready to play before 4 am. According to the survey from Mayo Clinic, about 53% of pet owners admit their pets disrupt their sleep.
TIP: Regardless of how much you love your pet, you should never allow him or her to share your bed. They should have their special place where they can sleep and wake up according to their own pace and tempo, without waking you up. This means you’re doing yourself and them a favor at the same time.
Conclusion
Our lifestyle habits can have a big impact on our sleeping habits. Some very surprising things prevent us from falling asleep such as reading emotionally-engaging books or sleeping with pets. Tips from this article should help you get some well-deserved sleep, finally.