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1. You eat sweets (or spicy foods) too close to bedtime
We love desserts (we’re not monsters), but indulging in candy too close to bedtime could be damaging your sleep health. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that foods high in saturated fat and sugar were associated with lighter, less restful sleep with more interruptions. Oh, and avoid eating spicy foods before you hit the hay. They often cause acid reflux, which is exacerbated if you lie down too soon after eating. (Sorry, nachos. Not tonight.) As for when you should finish your last meal of the day, nutritionist Samantha Cassetty, RD, explains that eating too close to bedtime can ruin your sleep. “Lying down near food can cause acid reflux, which can wake you up or wake you up periodically during the night,” notes Cassetty. “This situation limits the deep, restful sleep you need to function well during the day.” His suggestion: finish eating at least two hours before hitting the hay.
2. You drink a glass of wine too much
We know the benefits of having a glass or two of red wine before bed. But no more than two drinks can disrupt your sleep cycle. A little alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep, but it will also decrease the quality of your nap by reducing REM sleep. Treat yourself to a drink or two at dinner time so your body can metabolize it long before you get through the night.
3. You end the night with a hot shower or bath
Soaking in a hot tub might seem like the perfect end to a long day, but think twice before mixing the bubbles. Our friends at the National Sleep Foundation tell us that our internal body temperature usually drops a few degrees before bed, which helps us feel calm and drowsy. Raising your body temperature (for example, by sitting in boiling water) will make you feel wide awake. So skip the mousse or enjoy them earlier in the evening.
4. You scroll on Instagram in bed
Most of us are guilty of checking our phones in bed, okay? But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it makes it healthy. Why? Blue light from the screens of our beloved devices can trick the brain into thinking it’s still daylight, disrupting our circadian rhythm, the physiological cycle that informs our sleep. Andrew Varga, MD, neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, explains, “Electronic devices with backlit displays emit a very high percentage of blue wavelength light. Exposure to blue light from any source – including televisions, cell phones, laptops, e-readers, and tablets – late in the day has the effect of moving our circadian phase forward, which means that it causes one to get tired naturally later in the night. »Try to limit your phone use to the hour or two before bed, and consider investing in a regular old alarm clock instead of using your phone.
5. You sleep on weekends
Saturday and Sunday mornings might have been free for everyone when you were in college, but it’s destroying your sleep schedule now. Try to wake up and get out of bed at the same time every day – no matter when you are working – to get your sleeping and waking hours on track. “A lot of it is about setting personal boundaries, recognizing environmental factors and personal habits that have the ability to disrupt one’s sleep schedule,” says Dr. Varga, “and trying to minimize the variance of sleep time and daily lag, especially between weekends and weekdays. “
Sleep scientist Matthew Walker said NPR that sleeping until noon on weekends won’t really make up for a week of bad nights. “Sleep is not like the bank, so you can’t rack up a debt and then try to pay it off later. So the brain doesn’t have the capacity to reclaim that lost sleep you’ve been busy with for. the week in terms of debt. ”Sad but true.
RELATED: When is the best time to sleep? Here’s what the experts say
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