6 Habits, Sleep Experts Want You to Avoid to Deal with Insomnia

Depending on your view on insomnia, it will be easy for you to deal with it. Some things you think help you sleep better may be the cause of your insomnia. Sleeping well every night is the starting point for a successful day.

Also, have the right environment for proper sleep, including a clean room, comfortable beddings, the best Tempur Pedic, among other essentials. If you struggle with insomnia, there are some mistakes to avoid before you hit the hay. Below are some harmless habits that you need to avoid to deal with insomnia. 

Having a different sleep routine on weekends 

Having a consistent sleep and wake-up routine is a sleep tip every sleep expert encourages. The body craves consistency, especially during weekdays and holidays when most sleep more.

If you break the sleep routine during the weekend, it will be a challenge to follow the bedtime routine come Sunday night.

According to experts, this is a cause of insomnia, as you are forcing your body to toggle on different timings every week. Thus, to solve this issue, ensure you follow a consistent sleep routine throughout.

Getting out of bed in the middle of the night 

When you wake up in the middle of the night, what do you often do? Sometimes it may be because you were startled, you have a habit of waking at a specific hour to pee or drink water, or your sleep is over.

Whatever the case, you need to know how to handle it best to fall back asleep fast. Otherwise, it will lead to insomnia, and you will struggle the next day due to poor sleep patterns.

If you have this habit and find it hard to fall asleep, consult with your sleep doctor to ensure you get a solution to sleeping better. 

Sleeping too early 

Most insomniacs, according to sleep experts, sleep too early. Although it sounds counterintuitive, it is a reason why it is a common insomnia cause.

Despite what you think, staying up late signals your body’s homeostatic system that you need more sleep. Therefore, when you go to bed, you conk out sooner.

Sleep doctors, thus believe, restricting the time you spend in bed makes your body think you are more active. Thus, you have to sleep when you try to have it. 

You drink to nod off 

Drinking your favorite beer or wine will make you sleepy initially. However, as your body starts to metabolize the alcohol while you are asleep, you have to wake up later in the night.

Thus, it prevents your body from entering the deep sleep phase, also known as the more restorative phase of sleep.

Hence, a drink or two daily is a harmful bedtime habit to have, and if this is a habit you have, you will struggle to deal with insomnia. If you need to have something, choose to have chamomile tea, for it is soothing and helps you sleep. 

Underestimating how much caffeine you consume 

It is no longer a secret that caffeine keeps you awake, but most people do not know it affects the quality of sleep you get. Caffeine stays in your system for eight hours after your last cup.

For this reason, it is best to avoid drinking too much too late during the day, for it will interfere with you falling asleep with ease. As we get older, caffeine metabolism slows as we grow older.

Thus, your body is not in a position to process caffeine as it would in your forties as it did while you were in your twenties. Because of this, the same amount that did not bother you will affect you now. 

Lack of a set bedtime 

How long has it been since you had an effective bedtime routine? Experts advise it is vital to have a power-down hour. To do this, set your alarm an hour before your sleeping time.

First twenty minutes, finish up on any must-dos. For the next twenty minutes, do some sleep hygiene, such as brushing your teeth.

For the last twenty minutes, do something relaxing such as gentle yoga, meditation, and reading a book. Then have the lights out.