Sleep is one of the most important functions of our bodies. However, it often gets neglected in the everyday rush of our lives. We don’t get enough sleep, and even when we do, it tends to be with interruptions, waking up in the middle of the night, not being able to go back to sleep or fall asleep in the first place.
The stress we suffer affects the quality of sleep in a negative way, which reflects badly on our health and happiness. There are some mistakes related to sleep that most of us make without being aware of it. Here are the most common sleep mistakes you should avoid at all times.
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1. Not giving yourself time to unwind
One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to sleep is assuming that all you need to do is simply go to bed and sleep. It simply doesn’t work that way. Your mind needs some time to unwind, so spend a couple of minutes before bed stretching or having a warm shower. If you are currently facing a lot more stress than usual, you will need more time to fall asleep. Try meditation in order to calm your thoughts and learn how to deal with that part of your mind that’s always pressuring you and making you worry – because that’s the part you need to turn off when you want to sleep.
2. Taking your phone to bed
Taking your phone, tablet, or laptop to bed is a big mistake, and so is watching TV from your bed. The light from the screens will trick your brain into thinking that it’s daytime, so it’ll try to keep you awake. The mental activity you’re putting into browsing the internet or watching your favorite TV show will engage your cognitive functions, which will make it even more difficult to go to sleep. The bottom line is, you should make your bedroom a technology-free oasis, and you’ll be able to sleep much better.
3. Sleeping on your belly
Even though sleeping on your belly won’t necessarily affect the quality of your sleep, it’ll put a lot of strain on your neck and back. Not only will sleeping on your belly cause neck pain, but it can actually cause wrinkles as well, as your face is rubbing and pulling against the pillow. So take advice from experts for cosmetic surgery in Sydney and bear in mind that the eyes are the windows to the soul. We communicate so much of our thoughts and emotions with facial gestures centered around our eyes, so it’s no wonder we want them fresh and awake, and not wrinkly and tired. Sleeping on your back is better for your health and your youthful appearance!
4. Going to bed with makeup on
You already know that you should always remove your makeup before you go to bed. However, everyone skips this step in the bedtime routine from time to time. Unfortunately, every time you avoid cleaning your face before bed, in the morning your pores will be clogged, you’ll have some acne in making, and your eyes will go all red and puffy. Even worse, sleeping with makeup on can seriously damage your eyes. Therefore, take your bedtime routine seriously, and never go to sleep without cleansing your face.
5. Drinking too much coffee
Enjoying coffee in the morning and early afternoon is not a problem, and it can even be useful in many ways. Some facts about coffee you should know are that coffee speeds up the weight-loss process, and it makes you more focused within minutes of drinking it. However, it also keeps you awake, and not just for a short time. An average person will sometimes need up to 6 hours to remove the caffeine found in a single cup of coffee. That means that the coffee you drink at 6 PM can keep you unable to sleep until midnight. Therefore, limit your coffee time to the mornings and very early afternoons.
6. Drinking too much alcohol
Alcohol is a deceptive substance, in more ways than one. It makes people look prettier than they are, bad ideas seem good, it makes you feel not cold when you are, and it makes it easier to fall asleep. However, alcohol-induced sleep is not natural sleep, which means that you’ll probably toss and turn and wake up a few times during the night. It doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a cocktail or two – just don’t do it too close to bedtime.
If you avoid these common mistakes, you’ll notice that the quality of your sleep has risen drastically. This will improve the quality of your life since sleep is one of the things that can make you or break you. Now, you’ll be ready to be at your most productive and most efficient self.
