5 Bad Habits That Are Throwing Off Your Sleep

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Many of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep. In fact, it’s estimated that every 1 out of 3 Americans struggle to get enough sleep.

Although good habits are a must when it comes to promoting a solid night’s rest, avoiding bad habits is just as essential to ensuring a good sleep. 

Learn which 5 bad habits could be robbing you of a decent night’s sleep below. 

5 Bad Habits That Are Throwing Off Your Sleep

1. You procrastinate when it comes to sleep. Let’s face it: sleep procrastination is real. How many times have you looked at the clock in the evening and thought, “I should really get ready for bed?”  Though a fairly common behavior,  it ultimately compromises our sleep because we habitually put off going to bed. To help break this habit, try making your bed and bedroom extra cozy. This way, it’s more enticing for you to actually get to sleep, rather than seeing it as something you just have to get done at the end of the day. 

2. The foods you’ve been eating aren’t all that “sleep-friendly.” As you move into the evening hours of the day, be sure to watch what you eat. Any foods that are spicy, tomato based, or aged/fermented are not the best sleep-friendly foods. Why? Spicy and/or tomato based foods are full of acid, which can cause heartburn and other stomach issues that are likely to keep you awake at night. Fermented or aged foods, while good for you, should be avoided in the evening hours as well because they contain stimulants (e.g., norepinephrine) that can also keep you awake. 

3. You regularly binge watch TV before bed. I’ll be the first to admit how much I love watching Netflix before bed. However, this binge watching habit negatively affects our sleep in more ways than one. Primarily, it keeps us from getting enough sleep when we choose to watch 10 episodes of a show, rather than getting to bed at a decent hour. Furthermore, the blue light emitted from our devices compromises our sleep quality by disturbing our circadian rhythm. Try to stick to a one episode (two max) rule every night. 

4. You haven’t spent enough time outdoors today. Getting outdoors every day is beneficial for our health in many ways, especially when it comes to our sleep. Research has shown that people who are exposed to bright light in the morning sleep better at night. Why? getting enough sunlight, especially in the earlier hours of the day helps to balance our circadian rhythm, so that when the day is done and the sun goes down, we’re ready to turn in for the night, too. 

5. You stay “plugged-in” well after dark. For the vast majority of us, being digitally connected throughout the day is the norm. However, staying connected after working hours and into the night is one way to cost us our sleep. Whether it’s our laptops, our phones, our tablets, etc., staying plugged in during the evening hours keeps our brains awake, making it harder for us to get to sleep and stay asleep. For the sake of your sleep, unplug at least an hour before you go to bed.