Are you having trouble sleeping? All we want after a long day is to go to bed, close our eyes and get a much-needed good night’s sleep, but even though feel drained and exhausted, sometimes we don’t get enough sleep, since our minds won’t quiet down. It turns our there are several mistakes most people do before going to bed that disturb our sleep quality and make it impossible for us to fall asleep peacefully. These are the bad habits you need to avoid before going to bed.
1. Using electronic devices
You probably heard this one before – so here’s a quick reminder: don’t use electronic devices before going to bed. This includes your smartphone, tablets, laptops, TV, e-readers, or any other tech gadget that emits blue light. This light, even if it seems dim and harmless, prevents the production of melatonin – which is supposed to make us sleepy. It is recommended to avoid any of those bright-light devices for at least one hour before going to bed if you want to enjoy a good night’s sleep.
2. Exercise
There’s a misconception going around that exercising before bed would improve our sleep – but this isn’t the case! (yes, we thing the exclamation mark is needed here for dramatic effect). You might think that exhausting yourself with some exercise before bed is a good idea, but that’s not the whole story. While exercising is a great habit, it is not advised to exhaust yourself in order to get a better sleep. Research shows that while getting moderate exercise before going to sleep can help treat insomnia, it was shown that prolonged or intense exercise before bed might make it hard for people to fall asleep.
3. Drinking Alcohol
We can’t deny how relaxing it is to have a glass of wine before going to bed, and we all enjoy a glass of wine with dinner every now and then. It might give us that sleepy sensation, which feels like the right thing before bedtime, but studies have shown that drinking alcohol before going to bed disrupts our sleep quality, as it reduces rapid eye movement, or deep sleep.
4. Smoking
We’re not here to preach you to quit smoking, since you’re probably heard it all before and you’re aware of the consequences. However, if you are a smoker, try and avoid it before bedtime: even though people smoke to relax the body, the effect of the nicotine is tricky, as it works as a stimulant, encouraging the body to do the opposite of relaxing. Nicotine promotes the production of acetylcholine, a wake-promoting neurotransmitter, which is why you should avoid smoking before going to bed if you have a busy morning ahead of you.
5. Eating heavy meals
Good eating habits do not only improve our health or help us lose weight, but it is also key to have a good night’s sleep. Although it might be tempting to have a heavy large meal before going to bed, guess what, by doing so we are just giving our metabolism more work, making it difficult to fall asleep. If you happen to be hungry before going to bed, a small amount of food may be helpful. Take a look at this list of 7 foods to avoid before bed if you want a good night’s sleep
