10 Things That Could Ruin Your Sleep

Poor sleep, insomnia, nightmares – without even realizing it we often provoke these symptoms ourselves . Most of these symptoms occur because of things we do or do not do within the few hours before going to bed. This article will help you better understand why you might be suffering from any of those symptoms and how to avoid them.

Electronic Devices

Research has confirmed that the blue screen has negative effects on the brain and may disrupt sleep. Try to use the last hour before sleep to communicate with relatives, take a shower or focus on a calming hobby. Try to not place your phone next to the bed when going to sleep, otherwise it will be difficult to resist the temptation to look over the  social networks, or check e-mails.

Avoid Certain Medication

Certain drugs can excite the nervous system which will prevent you from falling asleep peacefully (example: drugs that increase blood pressure). Use these drugs at least 3-4 hours or earlier before bedtime if possible. Some pain medications irritate the stomach, which will not cause severe pain but might may to prevention of restful sleep. If you suffer from sleep disorders and thus regularly take medication, carefully read the instructions and check with your doctor to see if any other methods could be used as an aid.

Tea or coffee

Coffee is a stimulant which most people are aware of but what some people might not be aware of is that tea can be just as bad when it comes to stimulation of your body system and can stay in the body for up to 12 hours. Beware that even one cup of strong coffee or caffeinated tea can effect your sleep patterns. And don’t think that decaffeinated tea or coffee is that much better. It still contains some caffeine and is not recommended right before bed. Herbal teas like spearmint, chamomile etc. are great though. Caution: remember not to drink too much of it before bed simply because it might disrupt your sleep due to increased need to visit the bathroom.

Chocolate, Fatty And Spicy Foods

Chocolate, especially bitter, also has caffeine. In addition, it includes an alkaloid called the bromine, which is a natural stimulant. This combination is sure to prevent good sleep. Junk food, especially fatty and spicy can be very rough on your digestive system because it has to actively keep on digesting food and therefore might not let you sleep peacefully.

Alcohol

Many think that a couple of glasses of wine before bed will act as a sedative but unfortunately it only has a short-term effect. After 3-4 hours after falling asleep, you are likely to wake up and might have trouble falling asleep again. Moreover, alcohol is a diuretic, so you will probably have to run to the bathroom many more times than usual and therefore disrupt your sleep.

Work E-mail

We know it could be hard to resist the urge to check your work e-mail before going to bed but this habit should really be given up as soon as possible. As soon as you find a work related e-mail it is hard to shut off your mind from focusing and solving problems. Try to relax!

Exercise

Any exercise in the evening, whether it’s just a walk or a good workout at the gym is great for sleep unless it is conducted within 2 hours before going to bed. The adrenaline rush revitalizes your whole body and makes it difficult to shut off the systems on demand.

Relationships

Stress is the main cause of insomnia. If you have an issue with your spouse, fiancee or any other family members try to wait until the next day to resolve the issues and absolutely avoid fights. Nothing is urgent enough to be discussed right before going to bed. If you do decide to engage in resolving an issue or a problem you might lose the whole night of sleep. Simply try to forget it until the morning and then it might not even seem like an issue that would be worth fighting over. Mornings are always brighter than nights.

Movies

Watching TV  just before bedtime is not a good idea especially if the movie or a show is emotionally stressful (thriller, horror, drama) it will awaken your body rather than calm it.

Hot Bath

A hot bath before bed sounds nice and calming but it really isn’t. The truth is that in order to fall asleep our body’s need to lower the internal temperature and the hot bath does just the opposite. Increased body temperature will prolong the time needed for the body to fall asleep.