6 Bad Habits That Might Be Ruining Your Good Night’s Sleep

Are you making any of these mistakes?

You are in bed after a long, tiring day. You are gazing at the ceiling, trying to sleep. But no matter how hard you try, you can’t catch a wink. You can hear the faint noise of the fan or the sound of the chirping crickets outside your window. A million different things go through your mind at the speed of a bullet.

Does this sound familiar?

The culprit may very well be your bad late-night habits.

Poor sleep can result in several health problems. Do you have a hard time concentrating or being productive at work? Have you been feeling sluggish lately? Or have you noticed any change in your weight? Bad sleeping habits can result in these and more.

Bad Habits You Need to Look Out for:

1. Gobbling up a heavy meal before bed: There’s nothing more satisfying than a three-meal course. A light appetizer, to begin with, followed by your main course, and topped off with a dessert. Now, that’s food heaven. But here’s the catch! Eating a meal right before bed can result in poor sleep. This is because our body needs time to digest food. But, wait, here’s the worst part. Lying down immediately after food could also result in heartburn. And I bet you don’t want that, am I right? An upright position helps aid the digestion process. And it’s suggested that you finish your supper at least two hours before bedtime. This helps to avoid poor sleep and heartburn.
2. Indulging in late-night alcohol or caffeine: There are some nights when you want to sip on a cup of coffee. Or have a drink or two. A little something to take your mind off the terrible day you had. Then you go to bed in the hopes of good sleep to drown your sorrows. But you can’t catch a wink. Instead, you are up tossing and turning in your bed. I’m sorry to break it to you, but a nightcap ain’t gonna help you sleep. It might make you feel drowsy, but it will also disrupt your sleep cycle. And I’m sure caffeine needs no introduction. Everybody knows it is the secret weapon to keep you awake. So, stay away from it for at least 6 hours before bedtime.
3. Scrolling on your phone or bingeing on TV: Raise your hands if you are guilty of peering at your phone in bed. This is where I raise my hands with a sheepish look on my face. Next, put your hands up if you binge TV late at night (yup, my hands are still up). This is where I will now tell you why you should stop it, like a hypocrite. I swear I’m trying to get rid of this habit. The blue light from the screen of your electronic devices hinders your melatonin (aka your sleep hormones). It also keeps your brain engaged as opposed to helping you unwind. Keep a watch on your screen time and try to bring it down. You could swap your electronic devices with a good book.
4. Breaking out a sweat late at night: Exercise is beneficial for health, and you should try to do it regularly. There’s no denying that! Exercising every day can even do wonders for better sleep. As long as you are not doing it right before bed, you should be fine. Intense exercise results in rising in your body temperature. It also produces the feel-good chemicals known as endorphins. And that calls for a big yes any other time. But you don’t want to end up being chirpy at night, leaving no time to unwind. If you must work out, opt for gentle stretches that won’t make you sweat. Leave the weightlifting and the high-intensity cardio for another time.
5. Keeping an ever-changing sleep schedule: I know some of us, me included, are like night owls. We love to stay up at night and get more things done. Each of us has a natural body clock, called circadian rhythm, linked to sunrise and sunset. When the sun is out, the melatonin production in your body goes down, keeping you awake. When the sun has set, melatonin goes up. This cycle repeats every day. Going against this cycle can cause an imbalance in your hormones. It can also result in a higher risk of chronic insomnia, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Try to set a clear bedtime and stick to it religiously, even on the weekends. Try and aim for a good 7–9 hours of sleep.
6. Catching some Z’s in an overly warm or cold room: Sleeping in too hot or cold a bedroom can affect your sleep. This has everything to do with your internal body temperature and the circadian rhythm (yet again!). The heat in your body starts cooling down at night. Once the morning comes, your body temperature rises again. Hence, if the temperature in your bedroom is chilly or toasty, this will affect your internal temperature. The ideal bedroom temperature is around 60–67 degrees Fahrenheit. Your room should be dark, peaceful, and cool (not cold, just cool!). You could also stick your feet out from under the covers as I do. This will bring down your body temperature. And, boom! You are sound asleep. Nope, not really! But it will help speed up the sleep process.

I’m no stranger to sleepless nights. In fact, I’ve been guilty of two of these six habits in the past. My family probably won’t agree with me on this, but, hey, give me a break! I am on my way towards replacing these habits, and I can already feel the difference.

Now, it’s your turn. What’s your worst late-night habit?

Now that we’ve crossed off the list of the bad habits, let’s have a quick recap of the good habits for a good night’s rest.

Good Habits to Improve Your Sleep

1. Eat your supper two hours before bed and keep it light
2. Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bed; opt for decaffeinated if you must.
3. Keep away from alcohol and cigarettes 4 hours before bed
4. Do some gentle stretches for your neck and arms at night
5. Stick to a steady sleep schedule, even on lazy Sundays
6. Limit exposure to blue light from electronics before bed

The world is not conspiring to make sure you lose your sleep. It is your habits conspiring against you. So, what are you going to do about them?