Have you developed bad daytime habits that are detracting from your ability to get a good night’s sleep?
Take a look at the following to see which daytime habits you’re violating that could very well be impacting the quality of your sleep. Consider your own personal habit and sleeping success and then take to heart that you can sleep better simply by making a few changes in your routine.
Exercise
In a word… exercise is beneficial… even as it pertains to you getting a better night’s sleep. However, having said this… strenuous exercise done in the early evening or later can adversely affect your ability to fall asleep. Why? Because exercising raises your body temperature and it won’t begin to fall for several hours; and it is much easier to fall asleep when body temperature is lower.
If you exercise late in the day, consider altering your workout time. Getting your exercise out of the way 5 or 6 hours before you plan to go to bed is ideal. This allows your body ample time to re-regulate its temperature and to cool off to a level that’s much more conducive to sleep.
Now this is not to even remotely suggest that you stop exercising. You reap an abundance of benefits including better sleep by getting daily moderate exercise.
Caffeine
Most people are very aware of the affect of caffeine and won’t drink caffeinated coffee at night because they do realize that caffeine is the antithesis of sleep. But be mindful that coffee is not the only beverage containing caffeine. Soda, tea and some energy drinks (remember your workout) also contain this stimulant; therefore, you should avoid any of these types of drinks in the afternoon and evening hours. And if you’re prone to wanting just a bit of a pre-bedtime snack, keep in mind that chocolate also has caffeine. So eating that little sliver of chocolate cake, ice cream or pie just to take the edge off before you turn in can have an undesirable effect on your sleep for the night.
Caffeine affects individuals at various levels of intensity so there is no hard and fast rule about its consumption that applies to everyone across the board. However, if you are trying to evaluate all things that might be adding to your inability to sleep well, think about how caffeine might be impacting your sleep. Try eliminating your caffeine consumption in the afternoon and evening for a few days and note any differences in your sleep.
Alcohol / Nicotine
A big misnomer surrounding alcohol and sleep is that it helps you sleep better. Alcohol can certainly bring about sleep faster, but it may cause you to wake more often during your sleep period. Nicotine withdrawals occur while you sleep so the perceived need to light up may cause you to wake more frequently.
Just as we discussed with caffeine, stop consuming alcoholic beverages at night for a few days and see if you feel more refreshed in the morning. And kick the nicotine habit once and for all… you’ll sleep better and be healthier!
Food and drink
By now you probably know those foods that get your stomach on the wrong side of the street; especially those that can cause heartburn. Without a doubt, any type of food that you eat that is going to cause some form of physical discomfort even though only temporarily is going to adversely affect your night’s sleep.
Tomato-based (acidic) foods/beverages and spicy foods are the biggest perpetrators of heartburn. Even a little heartburn is only going to intensify when you lay down. This is going to cause even more discomfort during sleep and cause you to wake often during sleep. Drinking a lot of liquids in general isn’t a good practice as you approach your sleeping time as you run the risk that you will have to wake frequently because you’ll have to urinate more.
Napping
Everyone loves a good nap… and many times a good nap is just what your body and your mental psyche may need… but be careful about developing napping habits. Napping might cause later sleep disruptions by disrupting the workings of your inner clock or by causing you to need fewer hours of sleep during the night.
If you must nap… then nap only briefly, say no longer than 30 minutes or eliminate napping entirely and see if doing so enhances your sleep time.