7 common sleep myths – experts explained

Getting enough sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health. Sleep is essential for your body and mind to recover and process impressions.

Unfortunately, many people have trouble sleeping. It can be about difficulty falling asleep at night or waking up several times each night and having difficulty falling asleep again.

When it comes to advice on how to sleep, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting information out there.

hv news So he asked three experts to find out what’s right when it comes to sleep.

Here they break down 7 known myths — and explain how it’s actually done.

Myth 1: Getting up early is better

We live in a society that associates getting up early with virtue and success. I mean, how many times have we heard the phrase “the morning has gold in its mouth”?

But science doesn’t agree that going to bed early and waking up at dawn is the healthiest sleep pattern for everyone.

– It’s just a cultural and societal belief, nothing more. There’s no research to support this, says David Cunnington, MD, a sleep physician at the Melbourne Sleep Disorders Centre.

We are all different. Some are morning people, others are evening people and some are between people.

“We generally perform best when we sleep and wake up according to our natural preferences,” says David Cunnington.

Myth 2: Avoiding watching a screen before bed solves all problems

Blue light from cell phones, laptops, and tablets can keep you awake. But contrary to what you may have heard, removing your phone right before bed isn’t enough to counteract all of the harmful effects of blue light.

One solution instead is blue light blocking glass. In a US study, adults who wore these glasses three hours before bed saw a significant improvement in sleep quality.

An alternative is to activate the “night shift” function if your phone has one.

It should also be noted that even the dim light from table lamps and bedside lamps can disrupt a person’s circadian rhythm and melatonin secretion.

Myth 3: Waking up at night always means a lack of sleep

Many people think it’s not normal to wake up two or three times a night – which in turn can make us stress about why we don’t get our eight hours of sleep right away.

However, according to Leon Luck, a professor of psychology at Flinders University, this type of interrupted sleep is not harmful.

Brief awakenings are perfectly normal as long as they don’t negatively affect you.

However, if you happen to wake up once or twice during the night and have been awake for more than half an hour—perhaps feeling angry or frustrated about it—and then feel tired during the day, it may be a good idea to seek help.

Myth 4: Go to bed at the right time and the rest will take care of itself

Is it a big struggle every night to go to bed at the “normal” time?

Instead of focusing on a specific bedtime, try prioritizing your waking time. This tip comes from Leora Kempler, a sleep psychologist at the Woolcock Medical Research Institute.

The time you wake up determines when your body is ready for sleep the next night, she says hv news.

Leora Kempler’s research found that bright morning light affects the secretion of melatonin—a hormone that plays an important role in the sleep-wake cycle—and improves sleep. It also affects the feeling of people who have trouble sleeping during the day.

– So it’s best to get up at the same time every day and get 20-30 minutes of light from the outside world. Melatonin suppresses and promotes a healthy sleep the next night.”

Myth 5: You can train yourself to need less sleep

Prominent politicians and businessmen like to brag that they only need four or five hours of sleep. However, this does not mean that it is something you should strive for.

Trying to snag just a few hours of sleep each night can seriously upset your mood, says Professor Leon Lack. So it is highly recommended not to do so.

Reducing your sleep to less than six or five hours not only makes you more irritable, it also tends to disrupt REM sleep, he says.

Myth 6: Spending a few minutes of mindfulness before bed helps de-stress

Mindfulness is a proven way to manage and reduce stress – a common cause of sleep problems. However, a quick mindfulness meditation before going to bed is not enough to get a good night’s sleep.

“It’s less about what you do right before going to bed, and more about being mindful as a regular part of the day,” David Cunnington tells hv news.

Myth 7: Caffeine is your worst enemy

It’s a good idea to avoid caffeine in the afternoon, especially four to six hours before bedtime. Just remember that if you’re super jittery, caffeine probably isn’t your biggest problem.

– If you have a lot of stress in your life, it affects sleep much more than the caffeine in that cup of coffee, says David Cunnington.

Read more: The best trick from the expert – so you can sleep well at night

Read more: Boost the immune system – so you don’t get sick

Read more: Joanna, 26, has regained her life with a new heart