7 Sleep Mistakes You're Probably Making

We all know how important a good night's sleep can be—after all, the quality and length of your sleep affect everything else about your day, including your mood and your overall health. But did you know that the activities you do before bed can either make or break your sleep? It's true. As your sleep apnea dentist in Manahawkin, NJ, we're committed to helping our patients achieve optimal health through a variety of dental treatments. We strive to educate our patients with the knowledge they need to be healthy, and that includes good quality sleep. Let's take a look at 7 mistakes you're probably making that are disrupting that good night's rest:

Late Night Caffeine & Snacking

While a cup of coffee might be relaxing and has been shown to help some people relax, having caffeine before bed is not a wise idea. This is because caffeine is a stimulant—even if it makes you feel calm, it can cause or contribute to insomnia by blocking sleep neurotransmitters. It's also important to avoid refined sugars before heading to bed, as they can cause you to wake frequently during the night as hormone levels fluctuate. Try winding down with a cup of herbal tea, such as chamomile or peppermint, or eating a snack like yogurt, bananas, or turkey. The amino acids contained in these foods help your body produce serotonin and melatonin—the hormone necessary for sleep.

Making Up Lost Sleep

Catching up on sleep is a common practice among those who have their rest cut short by an early morning or late night. However, it's a misconception that you can make up lost sleep. After intense sleep deprivation, most people only need a couple of good nights of sleep to regulate their bodies and feel rested.

Sleeping With Your Pets

While it's tempting to snuggle up with your dog or cat for the night, try to resist—sleeping with pets leads to poor sleep quality. Keep your pets in another room of the house to prevent this and ensure that you're able to get the best sleep possible.

Hitting Snooze

As much as you want to hit that snooze button for another five minutes, don't do it. When you try to fall back asleep for another few moments, you signal to your body to start a new sleep cycle, which will be immediately disrupted by the next alarm. Fragmented sleep is low quality sleep. This will leave you feeling incredibly fatigued throughout your day. Try setting your alarm for the same time each day—the time you really need to get out of bed. This will help you establish regularity and get your body used to a routine. You may even find that your body naturally wakes up at that time without an alarm!

Drinking Alcohol Before Bed

Having a drink is relaxing and allows many people to fall asleep more quickly. However, alcohol reduces the amount of REM sleep, which is the deepest sleep cycle and produces deep dreaming. When the body is deprived of this deep REM sleep, it is more fatigued and drowsy during the day. Drink a calming herbal tea rather than alcohol at night.

Using Electronics Before Bed

Phones, computers, and tablets find their way into the beds of most people, with many scrolling social media, typing out emails, or watching videos before sleep. Yet, these devices emit harmful blue light, which disrupts the body's production of melatonin—the sleep-inducing hormone. Don't leave your electronic devices in your bedroom. Instead, keep them in another room and use a real alarm to wake up, rather than your phone's alarm.

Watching TV To Wind Down

It's a habit that many people are familiar with—falling asleep to a favorite show or movie. However, while it's common, it's also harmful to your sleep. Not only do screens disrupt your body's natural production of melatonin—having the television on also encourages you to stay up later and keep watching. Using the television to wind down can even cause poor quality sleep. Instead, try winding down with music or that stack of books you've been meaning to read for a while.

Contact Your Sleep Apnea Dentist Today

Whether you need expert dental services to maintain your oral health, or you need sleep apnea treatment, we at Federici Dental are committed to providing our patients with top-quality care and compassionate service. If you have any questions related to sleep apnea, other sleep issues, or any of our treatments, please reach out to us at our contact page. Or, schedule a consultation with your sleep apnea dentist today. We can't wait to see you soon!