Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our physical and mental health. It’s during sleep that our body repairs and restores itself, and our brain consolidates memories and learning. However, many of us struggle to get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night, leaving us feeling groggy, irritable, and unproductive the next day. While there are many factors that can affect the quality of our sleep, our pre-sleep routine can play a significant role.
Our pre-sleep routine refers to the activities we engage in before bedtime. Some activities can promote relaxation and help us drift off to sleep, while others can have the opposite effect. Unfortunately, many of us engage in habits that can disrupt our sleep without even realizing it. From scrolling through our phones to eating a heavy meal, these activities can interfere with our body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
If you’re struggling with sleep, it’s worth taking a closer look at your pre-sleep routine. In this article, we’ll discuss seven things you should avoid doing before going to bed. By eliminating these habits, you can create a pre-sleep routine that promotes relaxation, calmness, and better sleep quality. So, let’s dive in and explore what you should avoid doing before bedtime.
7 Things You Shouldn’t Do Before Going to Sleep:
1. Use an e-reader or smartphone
A recent study has revealed that using electronic devices like e-readers and smartphones, or even watching television in or before bed can disrupt sleep. Many experts around the world highly recommend avoiding any light-emitting technology for at least one hour before bedtime. The blue light given off by computers, smartphones, tablets, and TV prevents the production of melatonin which helps the body become sleepy.
2. Take certain medications
Here’s what you need to know – well, if you take medicines or supplements on a daily basis and you’re also experiencing sleep problems, ask your doctor whether the time of day you take your dosage may be keeping you awake. For example, antidepressants can have strong effects on sleep in either direction, and some pain medications may upset your stomach and make sleep more difficult. On the other hand, some other medicines—such as some types of blood pressure pills—have been shown to work best when taken at night; talk to your do about when to take yours.
3. Drink coffee
Ladies and gentlemen, did you know that a cup of coffee contains anywhere from 80 to 120 milligrams of caffeine per cup, and you probably already know you should avoid it right before bed. But some still like the idea of a hot drink after dinner, and may not realize that although they’re still several hours away from turning in, their habit could disturb sleep. Truth is, caffeine can stay in the body for up to 12 hours.
4. Drink alcohol
You shouldn’t drink alcoholic drinks before going to bed. How this works – well, alcohol tricks you into thinking you will sleep better, because it often makes you drowsy and makes it easier to fall asleep. But as your body begins to metabolize the alcohol, REM sleep, the period where our sleep is most restorative, is reduced. Impaired REM sleep often leads to waking up tired and unable to concentrate.
5. Eat spicy or fatty foods
Having a large meal too close to bedtime can make falling asleep uncomfortable if you’re bloated or painfully full, Spicy or fatty foods may be particularly risky because they’re associated with acid reflux, which often rears its head when a person lies down at night. Ideally, you should have dinner at least two hours before going to sleep, to give your body enough time to begin digesting it. If you’re used to eating something right before bed, stick with sleep-promoting foods like simple carbs or a glass of milk.