Have you been finding it hard to fall asleep? Or do you feel like you aren’t sleeping very well? The quality of your sleep affects your mood throughout the day. The better you sleep at night, the more active, energetic, and mentally present you’ll be during the day. However, if you’ve been struggling to sleep well at night, it might be due to some things that you do just before you get down to sleep.
This blog post highlights some of the most common activities that people do before they go to bed that might impact the quality of their sleep – without them knowing about it.
Let’s see what these things are!
Watching TV or Using Their Smartphones
Most people have a TV in their bedrooms. They like to watch a movie or a show before they go to sleep. That’s their way of unwinding at the end of a long tiring day. If not the TV, it’s their smartphone. Whether it’s the TV or a smartphone, or an e-reader (or any electronic device whatsoever) that you use before sleeping, it has a significant impact on your sleep. The blue light these devices emit prevents the body from producing melatonin – which means that you don’t feel sleepy at the right time. It might be the reason you’re finding it hard to fall asleep even though you’re very tired.
Drinking Coffee and Tea
Many people like to end their day with a cup of hot coffee or tea after dinner. As good as that might make you feel in the short-term, in the long run, it will make it hard for you to go to sleep. Do you know why? Well, coffee and tea both contain caffeine, which is a nervous system stimulator. Caffeine makes you feel a lot more energetic and active – which is everything that’ll keep you from falling asleep.
Staying Occupied Till the Last Minute of the Day
If you stretch yourself to work or stay busy till the last minute of the day, you’re making a grave mistake. If you do anything that’s too absorbing or requires much of your attention, like watching an action movie or completing your office work for the next day, your mind won’t have a chance to rest. The reason why so many thoughts come crashing down onto you the moment you crawl into your bed is because you haven’t given yourself time to relax before going to bed.
Stop doing anything that requires your attention at least 30 minutes before going to bed and do something that helps you relax, like listening to music, taking a warm bath, reading your favorite book, etc.
Basically, don’t keep yourself occupied till the very last minute before you call it a day!
Eating Fatty or Spicy Foods
It’s not easy to stop eating your favorite food for dinner. But did you know that eating fatty or spicy foods at night can cause difficulty sleeping? It’ll make you feel bloated and uncomfortable, and this will stop you from falling asleep. Even if you do fall asleep, you won’t be able to fall into a deep sleep. Try to have dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed. It’s best to avoid spicy and fatty foods altogether.
Other things that you shouldn’t do before going to bed include engaging in group conversations in WhatsApp as the incoming messages might keep you awake, eating chocolate as it contains caffeine, smoking, drinking, playing video games, and many other activities that might be a routine for you. Try changing your routine for a week and see the difference for yourself.