129) 10 TOP SLEEP MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE

Let Sleeping Children Lie (Photo credit: stewickie)

Finding it hard to fall asleep?  Wide awake at 2 am in the morning?  Read more to find the answers.

More often than not some of you may find it a struggle to sleep.  It could be not getting enough sleep or finding it difficult to wake up in the morning.  Getting the balance just right is like a tightrope act.

You know that sleep is essential if you want to be active and productive in live.  The simple reason is that sleep allows our body to rest, detox, rejuvenate so that we feel energized and we can get on with our daily routines and work.  Sleep is the battery charger for our body.

These are the 10 most common sleep mistakes people make and a few tips for avoiding them!

1. The snooze button

You have set the alarm to wake you up at 6 am.  When it goes off, what do you do?  Hit the snooze button?  

Alarm Clock (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

After reading this article,  try to just get up on your first alarm as it is really much more beneficial.

10 more minutes of sleep won't provide you with any more energy to do what you have to do during the rest of the day.  You may be surprised to know that  it does the opposite!  

Researchers have found that 'interrupted sleep' will tire you even more.




2. Keeping irregular sleeping hours

It is important to get into a routine of going to sleep and waking up at about the same time every day.  You will wake up feeling refreshed.  

If you sleep late and at irregular hours,  you are interrupting your natural sleep rhythms, which can cause insomnia and fatigue.



3. Long naps

Sleeping cat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You can take a short nap of under 30 minutes anytime before 4pm or after lunch.  Naps can help to restore energy levels.  

However, don't overdo it by turning it into a long nap.  Long naps can disturb your sleep patterns.






4. Caffeine/stimulants

Caffeine is a nerve stimulant.  If you want to have a cuppa, drink it before mid-day as caffeine will   keep you awake for up to 12 hours after consumption.  

Caffeine Attack (Photo credit: serafini)

Restrict your intake later in the day.  Herbal drinks such as green tea can also keep you awake as it has caffeine too.  Check the labels first before making a cuppa.

5. Stress & negative thinking

Hoping to fall asleep with one thousand and one things circling in your head will guarantee a sleepless night.  When you start to worry, your stress level goes up and produces hormones that will stop you from falling asleep.  Try to relax and clear your mind before bed time.  Do breathing exercises or meditate.

Make an effort to focus on good thoughts that makes you feel happy or smile. When you are able to control the thoughts in your mind, your body muscles will automatically loosen up and it will be easier to fall asleep.
It will take some practice but it will be well worth it.

6. Too much light

When you were young, you may not notice or mind the bright lights that was left switched on.  Perhaps your parents may have done that because you had nightmares or a fertile imagination that a green eyed monster was hiding under your bed or a boogie man was in the closet waiting to grab you in the dark.

As adults,  some of you may find it difficult to fall asleep with the lights on.  Darkness is a sleep signal to our bodies to fall asleep.  So off all the lights, draw the curtains, shut the doors tight. Make your room as dark as possible before trying to go to sleep. Even the slightest hint of light coming through your window can disrupt your pineal gland's production of sleep hormones and your sleep rhythms will be "out of tune."  You can also try sleeping with an eye mask to shut out the lights.

7. Sugar before bedtime

Lucky sugar (Photo credit: Lynne Hand)

When you eat sugary snacks close to bedtime, you will find it hard to sleep.  Sugar gives you energy and therefore it will keep you awake during the night.  

If you feel hungry, drink some warm water or instead take a few bites of a protein based snack.

8. Alcohol before bedtime

Drinking too much?
http://www.stockfreeimages.com/

Drinking too much alcohol will knock you out as it is a sedative but it usually impairs sleep during the second half of the night and this can interrupt sleep patterns.  

You will feel fatigued in the morning instead of refreshed.  And what about the throbbing head and hangover?

9. TV in the bedroom

Watching TV in bed
Photo credit: http://www.stockfreeimages.com/ 

Falling asleep on the couch with the TV on is very easy to do.  However, you should not install the TV in your bedroom.  The bedroom must only be the place you go to sleep and having sex.  

When you watch TV in the bed,  you are mentally stimulated and this can severely disrupt your sleeping habit.

10. Worrying about sleep

It is not enough to worry about things you have to attend to during the day, you also worry about not being able to have a good night's sleep.  

sleep (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Placing too much focus on sleeping can cause you to feel anxious and it will only make the problem worse.  Try listening to music or read a book and let your body naturally get into a healthy sleep pattern.

Source: lifehack.org

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