It is midnight, and you are tossing and turning on the bed, trying to sleep. You lay wide awake, sleep late and end up having a bad day in the morning! This is one of the everyday situations of many people across the globe. However, for a bad day, not only your bad boss or a fussy partner is to be always blamed, your habits to leaves you with a bad day.
Bedtime Habits to Break
Today we bring to you certain bedtime habits you need to break to have a good sleep and be well-rested and enjoy a good day and a week.
1. Late Night Munching
Late-night binging on the favorite foods is a tempting idea. However, it is also one of the worst. Late-night means the body is busy digesting food and fails to rest appropriately. This will lead to poor sleep patterns and even digestion problems.
Also, eating heavy meals before bedtime hampers the sleep patterns and causes health issues. Make sure you have a balanced diet regularly and eat at least 2 hours before going to bed. If you are still hungry, munch on a protein snack for a quick bite.
2. Too Much Caffeine
Coffee is love; we all know! However, it is not at all love before going to bed. Consuming coffee before bedtime disrupts sleep and makes it difficult for a person to fall asleep. It delays the timings of the body clock, thus making you stay awake like an owl for long. Avoid consuming caffeine after the sunsets. You can alternate coffee with water as it will additionally hydrate your body.
3. Alcohol Before Bed
Alcohol makes a person feel drowsy and disrupts REM sleep. Once the effects of alcohol wear off and it metabolizes in the body, you might end up staying awake for long and have trouble sleeping again. If you have to take alcohol, drink it 2-3 hours before bedtime. Also, gulp down two glasses of water after every alcohol intake. This will help the body flush out the alcohol and regulate the sleep pattern.
4. Gadgets in the Bed
Are you the kind who has to check on Facebook and Instagram in bed before getting off to sleep? If you do this, then it is a significant reason for having a bad day and running your health. Using gadgets in bed leads to a person having trouble sleeping. The blue light in the smartphone adversely affects sleep and your day.
Avoid any gadgets before sleep and after getting to bed. Instead, opt for a relaxing activity like reading a book. If you can’t resist using the phone in bed, switch it off and keep it in another room.
5. Sleeping Too Early
Sleeping too early also hampers health and the day. When a person tries to sleep early, the person causes more harm than benefits as the body is not ready for sleep yet.
This results in the person lying awake in the bed for too long. Getting into the bed may give more extra rest, but the person will wake up earlier than average, and the sleep routine would go helter-skelter. Never go to sleep if you are not sleepy. If you get to bed and try to sleep even when you’re not tired, you will end up worrying and activating your body system.
6. Sleeping Somewhere Too Cold, Too Warm, or Too Noisy
Sleep in a comfortable space, one that is not too cold, noisy, or warm. Rest in a place that is stimulating to the senses. Keep the bedroom comfortable and pleasant with low lighting, no noise, and a suitable temperature.
7. Sleeping Less When Busy
This is the everyday story when you are busy! When you are busy and have long-pending tasks to do, you end up getting less sleep and devoting more time to the work. However, the time we are awake is also affected by not getting proper rest. If you are getting less sleep, you will have blurry eyes and be intoxicated throughout the day, which will eventually hamper productivity. It is essential to follow the 8-9 hours of sleep in a day regularly to fill in the ample rest.
Habits to Break8. Exercising Before Bed
Exercising before bed is a bad idea. The exercise activates the body and gets it worked up instead of calming it down and preparing it for sleep. The activities raise the body temperature, heart rate and make you sweaty, which is terrible for bedtime. Try to reduce the aerobic exercises before bedtime as much as you can.
9. Different Sleep Times
We are all driven by habit. However, if you sleep at different timings each day, it will hamper your sleep and your mornings and days will have a worse mood. The fluctuations in sleep timings will leave your body confused and much tired and sleepy throughout the day. The circadian rhythm and the body clock will be negatively hampered too.
Habits to BreakTry to follow a consistent sleep schedule. This will ensure you sleep better and are well-rested. Start by setting a fixed wake time to hit the bed when you are sleepy on a routine.
When it is about getting good sleep and making your day enjoyable, these bedtime habits ruin it. You can also indulge in meditation or calming breathing exercises to have proper sleep at night. Wipe off the stress and invest in the right mattress for a comfortable and sound sleep. If the present bed is leaving you with a sore back, it’s time you get a new one!
Also Read: Habits of Successful Women’s Morning Routines
