Have you ever been repeatedly exhausted and wished that you could improve your sleep cycle? Particularly if you live a very busy and active life, one of your greatest priorities should be getting quality rest each night. Here are a few sleep habits that you might have that are bad for your health, and how you can improve them.
Using Your Phone Right Before Bed
One of the most common bad habits when it comes to sleeping is using your phone right before bed. When you are trying to fall asleep, your mind needs to be able to rest, relax, and wind down for the night. Being on your phone late at night can cause your brain to be stimulated by the information and entertainment that it contains, making it more difficult to fall asleep. It can also affect your quality of sleep and how you wake up in the morning. The blue light that most phones have can also damage your retinas, causing your eyes to hurt and have other issues. It can also suppress your melatonin or the hormone that helps you to find the balance between your sleeping and waking hours. As a result, low levels of melatonin can lead you to be more groggy, irritable, and exhausted during the day.
Grinding Your Teeth
Another bad sleeping habit that you might have is grinding your teeth. If you suspect that you grind your teeth at night, you’ve probably woken up with a sore jaw, headache, or sensitive teeth. Grinding your teeth can make them more sensitive over time. It wears down your enamel, making you more susceptible to tooth pain, discoloration, and infection. In the worst cases, it could even cause the breaking and loss of teeth. Many people grind their teeth as a result of anxiety, anger, or stress. People who also have a large consumption of alcohol or drugs are also more commonly teeth grinders. One solution to help minimize teeth grinding is to identify the cause of your teeth grinding, and then use a retainer or night guard to protect your teeth at night.
Eating Right Before Bed
If you often eat meals right before bed, you also may have noticed that you don’t get a good night’s rest. Eating a large meal right before bed means that your body is working hard to digest your food while you’re trying to relax and fall asleep. As a result, you might have digestive issues or even stomach acid that rises into your esophagus late at night. To combat these issues, try to eat dinner a few hours before you retire for the night. If you need a snack before you go to bed, try to stick to something light.
If you have realized that you struggle with any or all of these bad sleeping habits as you’ve reviewed this article, don’t let them continue to affect your sleep. Start today to build better habits by eliminating the issues discussed here. As you make and accomplish these goals, you’ll find that you get better rest at night and feel more energized and awake in the day.
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