Six Small Things That Are Messing With Your Sleep

You would be shocked how many little things you do during the day that start to mess with your sleep. They may seem small and innocuous, but there could be a reason why no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to catch enough rest.

Sleep is the time of night where you subconsciously process whether or not to take down your rude coworker, and it is the time of night where you process the question: “Is he just not that into me?”.
We dream multiple times a night, whether or not we remember them, because rest is when our brains and bodies repair the damage we’ve done to them throughout the day.

Let’s investigate the small things we would do before bed that are potentially keeping us groggy throughout the day. Many seem obvious, while others not so much. Below are a few of the small things you don’t realize are messing with your sleep, so take measures in order to be able to get the quality beauty sleep you deserve.

Looking at Your Phone

According to Business Insider (and basically every health professional ever) looking at your phone before falling asleep is a big “No!”. The science behind this is that the blue and white lights behind your screen keep your brain from releasing melatonin, which is a natural hormone that, among other benefits, induces sleep. Although you may think you are unwinding by checking your Instagram feed before hitting the reset button on your day, you are actually robbing yourself of valuable sleep.

Going to Sleep Too Early

It may seem ridiculous that going to bed too early could be a thing, but it is. Not everybody needs the reported eight hours of sleep a night. For example, some feel most alert after six hours of sleep. But the myth prevails and we all try to catch up on sleep and get in our full eight hours, completely unaware that we can be messing with our quality sleep. Yes, if you go to bed too early enjoy waking up every three hours and wondering why you’re still tired the next morning…

Drinking Anything but Water Past 7pm

This is a tricky one, but anything but water at night is ruining your sleep. Most drinks have sugars and other chemicals in them meant to stimulate your body. If you’re ingesting these before bedtime, your body is trying to release melatonin and keep itself awake at the same time. If it sounds harsh, it’s because it really is, and you’re keeping your body awake longer than it needs to be.

White Noise

Like mentioned earlier, everyone is on a different sleep journey. While sleeping in total darkness may work for some, it actually can have the opposite effect for others. White noise allows some minds to wander and fall asleep.
If you’re the type of person who likes to have a fan on when you fall asleep, notice this about yourself. Determining which type of sleeper you are will have a huge impact on the quality of sleep you’re getting.

Falling Asleep With Your TV On

Much like your phone screen, your television releases those annoying blue and white lights that make it difficult for your brain to fall asleep. Furthermore, the flashing lights provide a distraction for your eyes, whether or not they’re closed.
If you’re leaving the sound on as well, keep in mind that your brain retains almost everything it hears, so you could be falling asleep with commercials being branded into your brain.

Stress

The worst offender on this list may not be considered small, but you may not even know it is occurring. According to polls, money stress is the top thing people worry about before falling to sleep. Seeing as this is one of the most realistic and widely spread worry, many people report “thinking themselves awake” by being very concerned about their bills/ student loans.

Before hitting the pillow, try meditating with a nice candle for five minutes. A recent study in the journal Sleep also found that the way people deal with their stress indicates how well they sleep, reporting that people who fixate on their problems had higher instances of insomnia than those who reframe their stress with humor or religion.

yogaesoteric
March 23, 2018