8 Things to Avoid for a Good Night’s Sleep
We’ve talked about the importance of getting enough sleep before. Yet, countless adults still fail to get the proper amount of high-quality sleep they need to stay healthy and function well throughout the day. In this article, learn how you may be ruining your chances of proper slumber with small choices you’re making during the day and before bed.
1. Eating Refined Carbs Before Bed
If you’re having a late-night pasta dinner or a quick bowl of cereal before you hit the hay, you’re probably going to have some trouble falling asleep. Why? Refined carbohydrates cause your blood sugar levels to rise, giving you a boost of energy that you really don’t need before you turn in for the night.
2. Drinking Alcohol
The idea that a nice nightcap will put you to sleep goes back hundreds of years. While a drink before bed will probably help you fall asleep, it will greatly reduce the quality of the sleep that you’re getting, and will likely cause you to have trouble staying asleep.
3. Letting Pets Into the Bed
Fido and Spot may be quite cuddly, but they’re probably disrupting your sleep, too. Keeping pets out of your sleeping space will cut down on both movement that’s likely to wake you up and minor fur and dander related allergies that might be interfering with the quality of your sleep.
4. Exercising Late in the Day
You may think that a strenuous workout will help you collapse into bed and fall right asleep, but the opposite is actually true. Even though your muscles might be tired, exercise boosts your energy and raises your core temperature, so it’s wise to avoid getting in your workout within three hours of the time you plan to go to bed.
