Good sleep at night has a direct impact on how we feel during the day. If you sleep poorly even one night you will probably feel sluggish and tired the next day.
If you continually get poor sleep it can lead to some serious health problems. However, while most of us know how important sleep is to our health, many people may not realize that they are practicing poor sleep habits to avoid as soon as possible;
Avoid eating too close to bedtime, this can disrupt your sleep, mostly because it gets your stomach acids going, and lying down can cause those acids to creep up into your throat. Also before you go to sleep avoid caffeine and nicotine, these are stimulants that when, taken within three hours of bedtime, can make it difficult to go to sleep or stay asleep until the chemicals wear off.
Alcohol should be avoided also for most people falsely believe that alcohol help promote sleep as it makes them drowsy and more likely to fall asleep quicker. However, once your body begins to metabolize the alcohol there is a period of arousal, which disturbs ones sleep.
Avoid technology in bed, you should not have a television or any other electronics in your bedroom such as cellphone, tablet, laptop, portable game console. Most of these devices also emit the sleep-stealing light and are used for content that may rob you of sleep because they are so engaging. When you set your alarm keep it away from your bed. Too often most people get used to using their phone as their wake up device. Having your phone close to your bed makes it too easy to continuously check it for new texts, emails, or just looking at the time.
Constantly reminding yourself of the time can create anxiety, making sleep more difficult. Also keeping your alarm away from your bed reduces the chances of hitting the snooze button over and over, and it makes you get out bed and shut it off.
Always avoid going to bed at odd hours, getting into a regular routine of going to bed and rising up at the same times every day is one of the most important practices you can perform a better sleep. Part of keeping a healthy bedtime routine is to keep it up even on weekends by avoiding staying up late and sleeping in. Depriving yourself of sleep during the midweek and binge-sleeping on weekends does more harm to your sleep cycles than good. If you are practicing proper sleep hygiene and still have a difficult time sleeping through the night you may have a sleeping disorder. Do not avoid going to see a certified doctor to try to uncover any sleep disorders that need to be diagnosed and treated.