Sure, if someone were to ask you what the number one thing you shouldn’t do before going to bed, you’d probably say “drink coffee” – but there’s much more to this equation of getting a good night’s sleep. Of course, it’s also deeper than simply going to bed at a reasonable time; rather, it’s all about planning your nighttime routine so that you avoid sleep-depriving bad habits.
If you have been searching for ways to get a better night’s sleep but have concerns regarding what you can avoid in the pre-bedtime hours, read on.
Don’t Use any Electronics Before Going to Bed
According to sleep study research Sweet Sleep Studio has analyzed, the human brain is restricted from producing melatonin, the hormone that tells the body when it’s time to sleep, when too much time is spent exposed to the blue and white light emitted by digital screens. The result? Falling and staying asleep becomes a greater challenge, regardless of how premium your mattress may be – indeed, for a better sleep experience, put those phones, laptops and tablets down two hours before bedtime so your body and mind can decompress.
Don’t Exercise Before Going to Sleep
Much like consuming enough water, exercise is vital for our health and wellbeing, but it’s not something you should engage in just before hitting the sack. Some people believe working out before bed will act like a fatiguing agent, making them sleepy enough to shut their eyes and drift off to REM sleep land, but to the contrary, the movement associated with exercise can actually stimulate the mind and body, causing you to stay awake.
Avoid Working Before Going to Bed
In this post-pandemic world, everyone seems to have the need to work extra from home, but this constant hustle and mindset leads to stressed-out people who have lost all manner of understanding how to rest. We all need a break – and the evenings are when you should be indulging in this downtime. So, here’s what we can recommend: resist the urge to check your inbox and avoid working from your bed because this will make it more difficult to associate a bed with relaxation.
Don’t Eat Those Fatty Foods
Because of the way society seems to be restructuring itself on an almost weekly basis, traditional family dinners around the dining room table have given way to grabbing any kind of junk or comfort food to consume in bed. Add busy schedules and long days at a job into the mix, and you have a recipe for downing that bag of chips on the night table – but these late-night snacks, unfortunately, can significantly disrupt your sleep, especially when they’re loaded with saturated fats. Eating later in the evening can throw off your circadian clock and force disorders like sleep apnea/snoring and insomnia to rear their ugly heads.
In addition to these tips on what to avoid before going to bed, we also suggest not drinking alcohol and not trying to solve any personal dilemmas that may be plaguing your thoughts.
Sleep has always been an important part of the human experience, but in this hyper-modern era we seem to be living in, countless distractions regularly attack us from every side. Everything from a lack of routines to bad habits can interfere with a solid night’s rest, to say nothing of irregular work schedules and countless forms of electronic entertainment. Strive to create a dedicated, tranquil sleep environment by getting in touch with Sweet Sleep Studio at (913) 309-5963.
