10 Sleep Mistakes We’re Still Making
Throughout history, people have made countless mistakes when it comes to sleeping. Proper sleeping patterns will follow someone throughout their life and it is up to them whether or not that late night talk show is worth it.
Not Getting Enough Sleep:
The biggest mistake that most people make with their sleeping habits is just not getting enough of it! As psychology class explains, the body needs enough time to go through all the stages of sleep in order to properly repair itself. 7 to 9 hours is the proper amount of sleep for most individuals.
Drinking Caffeine:
Caffeine goes directly into the blood stream and needs enough time to get through someone’s system before it lets the body calm down. Keep in mind that there should be eight hours between caffeine and a proper bed time, meaning one that does not start at three in the morning.
Late Night Alcohol:
Alcohol needs at least three hours to get through the system before going to bed. If it is still going through the system when someone does go to bed, it will effect them in the morning. The body will not be prepared for being awake and it will literally drag the rest of the day.
Sleeping with a Cell Phone:
Cell phones need to be either on a table away from the bed or out of the room entirely. In order to get a good nights sleep, the brain needs to unplug. There are also theories that signals going through the phone can be damaging to the brain and sleeping with a phone next to the head may not be the wisest choice.
Sleeping with a Laptop:
Again, signals going through electronic devices, such as laptops or tablets, can be damaging to the brain and the mental psyche. These devices can also light up throughout the night and cause an individual to wake up before they should, so these devices are best left away from the bedroom.
Checking Emails:
Computers should be turned off and put up one hour before bed. The brain needs that time to wind down and disconnect. Emails only keep the mind spinning, and a spinning mind does not turn off just because the computer is closed. Also, people should wait at least five minutes in the morning to check their email so the brain has a chance to wake up.
Watching Television:
There should be an hour in between watching TV and going to bed. Watching a lighted screen and then going straight into sleep mode can be damaging to the brain and makes it extremely difficult to get to sleep. The brain needs to be unplugged from electricity in order to wind down.
No Relaxation Period:
The mind and the body need a relaxation period in order to have proper sleeping patterns. Reading a book or taking a bath are great choices before bed. All electronics, noise and high-activity should cease to exist an hour before bed.
Eating Before Bed:
The body needs the right amount of time to digest food before going to sleep. Not only will the food not digest properly while someone is lying down, but it can be stored as fat. It can also make sleeping difficult as the body is awake and working to digest the food rather than calming down.
Hitting the Snooze Button:
The problem with the snooze button is that the mind is not fully awake and cannot comprehend how many times it has been pressed, thus making someone late to work or school. It is better to set two or three alarms rather than relying on the snooze button to get someone up on time.
Good sleeping habits are essential to healthy living. If people can come together and stop making the same basic mistakes, the world might find itself to actually be awake.
