9 Habits You Should Quit To Sleep Like A Baby

May 16, 2018

After you've been working all day, you likely can't wait to get into bed and fall asleep. However, there are times when getting a good night's rest is easier said than done. Even if you're not having a cup of coffee before bedtime, there are some things you can do that can compromise your rest. Here are nine things you should avoid for more fulfilling sleep.

If you exercise at some point in the day, make sure it's in the morning or at least a few hours before bed. After a workout, your energy levels will increase and your heartbeat will be faster, which makes it harder to relax.

According to Dr. Robert Oexman from The Sleep to Live Institute says exercising at least three or four hours before bedtime is ideal. You can also take a hot shower after exercising to promote blood flow and lower your body temperature, which will help prepare your body for sleep.

When you think of a scheduled bedtime, children often come to mind. However, you should make sure you go to bed around the same time every night as well. When your sleep schedule isn't organized, your body can't get used to a routine. Dr. Oexman refers to this as "social jetlag" or the practice of adjusting your sleep time to attend activities or complete work projects. Try to be as consistent as possible when it comes to going to sleep each night to get better rest.

It's pretty common to have a glass of wine with dinner, but if you're having trouble falling asleep at night, it's best not to have any alcoholic beverages in the evening. Drinking late in the day can shorten the length of time your body can sleep, even though you may think that you'll be able to relax quicker by drinking alcohol, according to sleep medicine physician Dr. Robert S. Rosenberg.

Once your body starts to process the alcohol, your body will likely be in the REM stage. This is the most restorative phase of sleep, and if your system is working to metabolize alcohol, this phase could be shortened or interrupted. So, if you're going out for a drink with friends, schedule it at least three hours before you want to fall asleep.

You've likely heard that you shouldn't go to bed angry, and there's lots of truth to this statement when it comes to your health. If you need to settle an issue with a loved one or have a conflict with someone at work, wait until you get some sleep to address it. If you try to fix things before bed, you're likely going to be up all night going over the problem in your head, which means your mind will still be working when you should be sleeping.

When you're engaged in an argument, your body produces cortisol, the stress hormone, which also makes it harder to settle down and get some much-needed rest.

There are medications that will make you drowsy, and some that are formulated to help you fall asleep. However, if you take stimulant medicines too close to bedtime, you'll stay up longer than you want to.

Dr. Michael Grandner, University of Pennsylvania Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program member and psychiatry instructor says that while the effects of the stimulant medication may not be immediately evident, you'll likely be awake several hours after taking the medicine. So, if you take antidepressants or allergy medicines, do so in the early or late afternoon so that your body will be ready for sleep when you are.

Be sure to turn all your electronic devices off about an hour before you're ready for bed. If you have to use your device at night, turn the brightness down and keep the device at least 14 inches from your face. Dr. Rosenberg states that the blue light that is emitted from electronic devices. This reduces your body's ability to produce melatonin, which keeps you from getting to sleep and leaves you feeling groggy when you wake up.

You should definitely make sure you're getting enough water during the day, but if you drink too much water before bed, you could interrupt your sleep cycle, since you'll have to keep waking up to go to the restroom.

We all enjoy a late night snack before bed, but it's best to avoid eating immediately before going to sleep. If the food you crave is spicy or fatty, your body will take a while to digest it, and you could experience heartburn and acid reflux, which makes it hard to get to sleep and stay asleep.

Even though you might love snuggling with your pet before bed, if you let your dog or cat sleep in the bed with you, it can be hard for you to stay asleep throughout the night. You may have to get up to take the pet outside several times during the night, or you'll have to adjust your position to accommodate your pet's sleeping habits.

Let us know if this article helped you out or if you have more tips that you would like to talk about. Forward these tips to someone in your life who could use a good night's rest!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!