3 Myths about Sleeping Better

3 MYTHS ABOUT SLEEPING BETTER

In the age of tech, 24/7 (yes people still say this ;) phone notifications, social media and other distractions are causing a change in our sleep patterns today. Does anyone actually know what 8 sleep hours feels like?!?!

It’s no secret sleep is important for regulating health, mood and even your waistline. So what’s the deal? Let’s unhinge 3 common beliefs and see what’s really true.

MYTH #1 YOUR BEDTIME DOESN’T MATTER

Maybe you feel you fall asleep easily and you’re clocking 7 hours of sleep, but you still feel tired. The problem could be your sleep pattern NOT the amount you sleep.

“There’s more evidence that says sleep regularity is more important than the time you go to sleep.” Says sleep neurologist and associate professor at the University of Michigan, Dr. Shelley Hershner. Hmm… right??

Regular sleep pattern means getting sleep around the same time at night. A routine and wind down schedule allows the mind to start to settle. It will get used to this relaxing time neurologically. 

* TRY THIS : set up a nightly routine that involves relaxing things such as bath and low lighting or white noise sound machine after reading.

MYTH #2 SLEEPING ON WEEKENDS HELPS YOU “CATCH UP”

 It makes sense in theory if you don't get enough rest during the work week, then sleeping in on the weekends is making up for lost sleep. It's easy to think this is ok and fall into that habit every weekend, but it's not a great idea.

Don't sleep in for more than an hour on the weekend. In an ideal circumstance you would keep the same schedule on weekends as on weekdays. Sleeping too much can throw off your sleep for the next day, or even the rest of the week. 

What you're going to have is what we call 'social jetlag'. When you need to go to sleep on Sunday, it's going to be harder for you to fall asleep [that night] since you slept in. We often need about 17 hours of wakefulness before we feel sleepy. Soooo if you slept until noon you wouldn't expect to feel sleepy at 10pm that night.

MYTH #3 DRINKING CAFFEINE IN THE AFTERNOON IS TOTALLY OK

This is another myth that can keep people from getting good quality sleep, and it's not true. Just because drinking that 4pm espresso doesn't prevent you from falling asleep in that moment, doesn't mean it won't affect your sleep. 

Caffeine can affect your sleep since it stays in your system for up to 8 hours. Sometimes people say they can have caffeine at 5pm and still fall asleep and so they think it's not affecting them. But it can still reduce the quality of your sleep and still cause people to wake up in the middle of the night.

Let’s recap! I know there is a lot of tension and frustration around ‘trying’ to fall asleep and ‘making sure to get 8 hours’ but the truth is consistency is more important. Your body will naturally start to feel relaxed and sleepy if you train it the same everyday. Find a rhythm and timing that works for you in the evenings. 

Obviously, the occasional night out with friends/spouse or travel things are going to happen. See if you can keep some of your new bedtime routines. Don’t sleep in too much!

Keep the caffeinated beverages before 2pm! Try jumping jacks or running in place to sub the beverage and increase blood flow.

CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY. And of course a heap of grace beautiful humans. This is a journey. Let these things gradually shift slowly and be gentle with yourself as transitions sometimes are more challenging than not.

Rest well. Zzzzzzzzz