how to sleep : Top bedtime mistakes that you shouldn't make

how to sleep

Sleeping habits do's and don'ts

We can't live without sleep.

A good night's sleep is extremely important for proper functioning of brain, physical well being, and emotional well being.

All fitness goals related to muscle building and fat loss are directly related to the quality of sleep.

However, nowadays due to fast-paced life most people are sleep deprived.

Sleep deprivation leads to tiredness, low productivity, and even long-term chronic diseases.

And if you are one of those who sleeps 8 hours daily but still feels lethargic and less energetic throughout the day, then you might be unintentionally doing something wrong.

Through this article, I will share with you what exactly you should do and what you should not do to get a deep and sound sleep every night

So without any further delay let's get started

Hello friends welcome to healthcare hub.

For this article I have picked up 10 most common sleeping habits and have categorised them as the do's and don'ts

Let us first talk about the don'ts or worst sleeping habits that impact the quality of your sleep.

Irregular sleep timings

Irregular sleep timings on a daily basis disturbs the internal body clock of our body. This not only makes us difficult to have a sound sleep but it also affects our mood. Mental alertness, hunger, and other body functions. Hence it is always recommended to sleep and wake up at almost the same time everyday, the best time to sleep to get the deepest sleep is between 9 p.m. to 5 a.m ( best sleeping hours ).

People who are bound to sleep for hours in the afternoon are bound to feel insomnia at night. If at all you want to sleep in the afternoon 20 to 30 minutes of nap is good enough.

Wrong sleep posture

how to sleep position

If you are sleeping for 6 to 8 hours a day, but still you are feeling tired after sleep and you are not feeling restful. Then you might be sleeping in a wrong posture. Many people sleep in fetal position :  which puts an undue pressure on back and neck muscles which leads to tiredness.

The other common position is the face down position, which puts pressure on chest and increase the stomach size and makes it round

Head wrapped position doesn't let you get proper oxygen.

Head on arm position puts pressure on your arm muscles which may lead to injury of the tissues of your arms.

These are not the ideal positions for healthy sleep.

best sleeping position for lower back pain

Sleeping on the back is helpful for people suffering from back pain as it keeps the spine straight.

best sleeping position for lower back pain

which side to sleep on : Generally speaking, it is best to sleep on the left side as it has numerous health benefits - it increases blood circulation, doesn't overload the liver, helps clean the intestines, and prevents heartburn.

There is a reason to it as, when we sleep on the left side our stomach is ideally placed downwards which doesn't let the acid move upwards.

So right is wrong and left is right.

Playing with snooze button

No matter how much sleep you get, it never feels like enough.

snoozing, after your alarm goes off, can actually make you feel tired and increase drowsiness. This is because the time between the subsequent alarms is so narrow that it doesn't let your body get into deep sleep. Doing this on a daily basis confuses the brain and disturbs the overall body clock ( circadian rhythm ). Get out of the bed as soon as the alarm sounds and make this a rule.

Consuming sleep inhibitors

People who have a habit to consume 3 to 4 cups of tea or coffee on a daily basis. Usually face many problems. Especially coffee, which is very high in caffeine should not be consumed at least 8 to 10 hours before going to bed.

Alcohol negatively affects your sleep. Alcohol will wake you up in the middle of the night leaving you tired. It affects the rapid eye movement sleep.

Eating too much at dinner or sleeping empty stomach both may disturb your sleep cycle. Even drinking too much water at bedtime disturbs your sleep as you will have to make frequent trips to the toilet.

Exercise may also act as sleep inhibitor, if it is done before bedtime. This is because after exercise our mind and body gets excited which main hinders sleep.

Exercise can help you sleep better but make sure that you are doing it  4 to 5 hours before going to bed.

Using gadgets

This one is a no-brainier, but still most people can't get over this habit. The blue light emitted from smartphone screen, or laptop screen. Adversely affects your sleep cycle, moreover they also excite the brain making it difficult for us to fall asleep. Thus, it is always good to put away electronic devices at least 1 hour before going to sleep

So these were the 5 bad habits that affect the quality of sleep.( sleeping problems solutions ).

In the Next article we will see 5 best habits that improve the quality of sleep.