Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night? Are there distractions and thoughts that make you lie awake, tossing and turning? Or do you wake up feeling sore, groggy, and unrested? This might be because of the worst habits for sleep keeping your body from being able to fully go into sleep mode. Drinking coffee too late at night, checking your phone when you go to sleep, and even sleeping in can contribute to unhealthy sleep patterns.
Worst Habits for Sleep
Here is what our sleep doctor NYC has to say about the worst habits for sleep.
Eating Before Bed
People enjoy dinner at different times throughout the night, but it is important not to eat too soon before you go to bed. You can’t help getting late-night munchies every now and then, but making a habit out of eating before bed – or even in bed – can end up having detrimental effects on your sleep. When you lay down during the early digestive process, your body is more prone to indigestion, heartburn, or other gastrointestinal issues.
Keeping Contact Lenses In
Contact lenses function best when they can remain moist in your eyes. Similarly, your eyes need moisture to be able to function properly. If you leave your contacts in while you sleep, you are putting your eyes at risk of drying out, so they will not be rested for the next day. Not to mention, you could seriously damage your eyes when you fall asleep with contacts in.
Drinking Coffee Late at Night
A nice cup of coffee with cream and liquor after dinner is always a pleasant treat. But you might want to think twice about drinking coffee late at night, as it might be affecting your sleep patterns in more ways than one. It takes six hours for the effects of caffeine to leave your body, giving you a harder time falling asleep. And as you age, it takes longer for your body to be rid of those effects.
Staying Pent Up Without Exercise
It is important that your body can expend all of its natural energy throughout the day. If not, your body may not feel restful enough to go to sleep. You may be worried that exercise will make your body feel tired all day, but you will actually feel less lethargic throughout your day if you get the recommended amount of exercise. This will help your body fall into its natural sleep patterns, giving you the rest you deserve.
Using Your Phone Before Bed
It is really hard to put the phone down before going to sleep. But if you were to give your eyes a break from the bright screens for at least an hour before you go to sleep, it would improve your sleep quality dramatically. It’s not just the bright screens keeping your brain from being able to rest, but all the buzzes and sounds, too. Even while you sleep, a buzz could be waking up part of your brain that makes you feel less restful when you wake up.
Get Sleep Disorder Treatment ASAP!
At Sleep MD NYC, we offer specialized sleep disorder treatment to help you get your sleeping habits back on the right track. Insomnia makes it difficult and sometimes impossible for you to get to sleep on a regular schedule. Our experts can help you find the bad habits in your life that prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep, as well as other symptoms and contributing factors making you feel tired. Our treatments offer help in getting your sleep back on track.
Sleep is one of the most important functions of your body. Without it, there would be detrimental effects to your health. Reach out to your sleep doctors today!
