Uncovering the most tempting late night activities that prevent quality sleep.
Uncovering the most tempting late night activities that prevent quality sleep.
It’s the end of yet another busy day, and that means it’s time to relax and unwind. If you’re like most, you find ways to entertain yourself and before you know it, the 20 minutes you intended to waste before going to bed has expanded to an hour. Still, you waste a little longer before finally going to bed. The result? Another night of ruined sleep and waking up the next morning feeling exhausted. But, that doesn’t stop you from repeating the same pattern over and over again. We’ve compiled a list of six common ways you’re ruining your sleep. How many of them are you guilty of?
Who doesn’t enjoy a little late night channel surfing? According to Pennsylvanian researchers, it’s the top late-night activity and one that takes up close to half of the two pre-bedtime hours. Researchers also noted late night viewing results in chronic sleep debt and that viewers were prone to sleeping in and going into work late in an attempt to compensate for lost time. Our advice: Tune out Leno or TiVo it. If you think getting quality sleep is difficult now, it only gets tougher if you’re suddenly unemployed in today’s job market.
You’re talking on the phone too much. A recent study found that the radiation associated with cell phones is having a damaging effect on your sleep. They discovered that cell phone users reported more headaches, had more difficulty falling asleep, and it took them longer to reach the deep quality sleep associated with a good night’s rest. If your call is going into overtime, suddenly “remember” that the battery is running out of power. This white lie will give you and the battery a chance to recharge.
Keep getting the midnight munchies? Aside from the negative impact it may have on your waistline, Brazilian research has found that late-night snacking, and the energy intake associated with it, leads to poor quality sleep highlighted by frequent awakenings. Any way you look at it, snacking is a poor bedtime decision. Sugary foods could give you an unnecessary energy jolt, salty foods could make you thirsty, and Australian research indicates that spicy foods elevate body temperature causing disturbed sleep cycles.
If you’re like 60% of Americans, you’re probably using the computer within an hour of going to bed. Unfortunately, this is counterproductive to your sleep. Why? The artificial light that computer screens emit not only make you feel more alert, but they also suppress the hormone that promotes sleep, melatonin. The result: You sleep less and feel more tired. Forget about reading your emails, the news, or casually browsing, and get into the habit of shutting down your computer earlier.
Everyone knows that having lots to drink before bed ensures you’ll have interrupted sleep. However, some drinks are better than others. Stanford researchers discovered that caffeine had a significantly negative impact on the sleeping patterns of morning people. Irish researchers recently noted that drinking even low levels of alcohol had a considerable impact on the amount of time slept, particularly damaging the latter half of the night. If you must drink something right before bed, make sure to avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.
Are you depressed? Do you ever get the feeling that if you finally get a good night’s rest everything will be better in the morning? According to a recent study, to improve your circumstances, you should limit your exposure to light as the greater your exposure to it, the higher the likelihood you’ll be suffering from depression, which often translates into less sleep. Whatever you do, don’t read in bed and if you must count sheep, do so with the lights off.
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How To Sleep Better: Late-Night Habits Ruining Your Sleep