Getting a good night’s sleep is important for your physical and mental health. Interrupted sleeping time can make you moody, cranky and anxious.
A good night’s rest is more than just going to bed early. The things we are exposed to and consume, they all have a say on our sleeping patterns whether we like it or not.
The activities leading up to your bedtime can make or break a good night’s sleep. With that in mind, here are some of the things you might want to consider refraining from before you head to bed.
#1 Alcohol
Contrary to popular beliefs, alcohol doesn’t give you a good night’s sleep. Alcohol may make you feel sleepy at first, but it can wake you up afterwards repeatedly. This interruption can disturb the important REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of your sleep.
On top of that, alcohol can also trigger the constant need to urinate. This can lead to multiple trips to the bathroom, causing your sleep to be interrupted once again. Some doctors recommend individuals to avoid drinking alcohol in the late afternoon and evening before bed.
#2 Caffeine
Caffeine is found to affect some individuals up to eight hours before bedtime. If possible, try to refrain from consuming caffeinated beverages or food in the afternoon and evening. You might just observe a positive change to your sleeping patterns.
#3 Late-night eating
Eating the wrong kinds of food late at night can affect your sleep quality. Foods that are high in caffeine, grease and fat are often the culprits. For example, greasy and spicy food may trigger heartburn and this can cause restlessness.
If you do choose to eat late at night, perhaps you can consider a lighter dinner that is less in salt, calories and fat. A light snack option works too! Keep a look out for easy to digest foods such as toasts and yogurt to soothe that late night craving.
#4 Usage of digital devices
Artificial lights emitted from digital devices are found to disrupt your sleep, particularly after the sun goes down. This is because blue light from these devices can lower your melatonin levels.
Working during the pandemic has made it a challenge to stay away from our devices. We use smartphones, laptops and anything digital with a screen as an escapism method and this has made it difficult for separation. As much as we are reluctant to put the device down and step away, ultimately it’s the best solution for the long run.
Source: WebMD
