Struggling to sleep? Avoid these five bedtime pitfalls

We all dream of waking up feeling refreshed after a great night’s sleep, but most of us are making common mistakes that prevent us from getting top-quality rest.

With the clocks going back this weekend, you’ll want to make the most of your extra hour of shut-eye. We spoke to Neil Robinson, sleep expert at Sealy beds, who revealed the five most common mistakes that are impacting our slumber:

1 Technology in the bedroom

A staggering 70 per cent of us are using some form of technology each night whilst in bed, with almost one-in-three of us being disturbed at night by our partner using a mobile device. As well as the disruptive notifications throughout the night from texts and emails, the blue light emitted by screens on our phones, tablets and TVs impacts our levels of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone. Allow yourself a tech-free zone for 30 minutes before bed – this will prevent technology having a negative impact on your sleep and ensure a better night’s rest.

2 Having a night-cap

While a nice glass of wine might be an enjoyable way to de-stress at the end of a long and hectic day, alcohol can have a negative impact on our rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is considered the most restorative stage of sleep. While you may fall asleep faster after a couple of drinks, you’ll spend less time in your REM phase of sleep – meaning you’re more likely to wake up feeling unrested and drowsy.

3 Hitting the snooze button

Yep, we’ve all been guilty of pressing ‘snooze’ on our alarms to give us those precious 10 more minutes in bed. However, by dozing off for those extra minutes, we’re preparing our bodies for another sleep cycle, which is then quickly interrupted – causing us to feel fatigued for the rest of the day that lies ahead.

4 Sharing your bed with your pet

While it may be tempting to let your beloved pet snooze with you in your lovely comfy bed, this is likely to lead to you having a poorer night’s rest. Not only are pets likely to disturb you in the night, they can also bring allergens into the bedroom, causing irritation and inflammation of the nose, as well as breathing problems during the night.

5 Having a messy bedroom

The environment in which you sleep can play a huge part in the quality of your slumber. While a comfy and supportive mattress is crucial to helping you rest, so too are your surroundings. In fact, studies have shown that those who have a messy and cluttered bedroom have a worse night’s sleep due to increased stress levels – compared to those who keep their room nice and tidy.

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Struggling to sleep? Avoid these five bedtime pitfalls

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With the clocks going back this weekend, make the most of your extra hour of shut-eye by avoiding these common pitfalls.

Author

Hattie Parish

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Healthy Magazine

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