Five Things To Avoid Doing Before Bed

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To get a good night’s sleep, picking up good habits that clear your mind is essential. To do that, we must avoid some nasty habits we picked up over the years. You are not the only one, there are millions of people that fall victim to these.

The routine you have before bed has an extreme impact on the way you go to sleep. Avoiding these things will help you sleep faster and longer throughout the night. First, avoid sleeping pills and caffeinated drinks. Natural sleep remedies can help if you struggle with these things.

Do not smoke or work out before bed as well. These can disrupt your sleep pattern and cause you to lie awake. Lastly, avoid junk food, although everyone loves a good midnight snack. Small pleasures can have significant consequences.

1. Can Sleeping Pill Help Me?

Struggling to sleep is never fun, and waking up feeling sluggish and tired in the morning is the worst. You try every possible trick to get good sleep, but you can eventually turn to sleep pills. These may not be beneficial to you in the long run.

Sleeping pills are tricky because there are over-the-counter pills that anyone can buy. Then there are doctor-prescribed medicines that can help you sleep as well. The ones that can get prescribed medicines are usually diagnosed with insomnia.

Sleeping pills are safe but should never be a long-term option. There are risks to look out for when taking sleeping pills to protect yourself. Do not take them with other medications; if you have liver and kidney complications, you should consult a doctor before taking them.

Age can also be a factor when considering taking sleeping pills. An excellent alternative option can be natural sleep remedies that use essential oils to help you sleep. It’s safe and natural but also can be used on kids.

2. Avoid Caffeine

A good cup of coffee in the morning helps start our day and energize us for work. Although, it can have the opposite effect at night. People consume multiple coffees or caffeinated drinks throughout the day, and ending your night with one can be troublesome.

Some people like to drink something hot before going to bed. Instead of coffee, it would be great to drink hot lemon water as a replacement. It contains no caffeine and is hydrating. Caffeine can stay in the body for hours and disrupt your sleep cycle.

Coffee is not the only product that contains caffeine. Some teas, Energy drinks, and chocolate all contain caffeine. It is best to avoid these during bedtime for a good night’s sleep.

3. Can I Smoke?

It is natural for smokers to want to light one more cigarette before bed. This can have some harmful effects on your sleep pattern. Nicotine is the main reason smoking makes it harder for your brain to shut down.

Nicotine is a stimulant that can increase heart rate and blood pressure. At night the body wants to shut down and produce melatonin, but tobacco and nicotine reverse this effect. You may eventually fall asleep, but it will be a restless experience.

Not only cigarettes have this effect on your sleep pattern. Cigars, vapes, and chewing tobacco all have the same side effects. Those with a nicotine patch can also suffer from poor sleep.

4. Should I Work Out Before Bed?

Everyone has a busy schedule, so finding the time to work out can be tricky. So it is usually three times people place their work out in. The morning, middle of the day, or at night. Although as a warning, working out at night may deter your sleep.

If you have to work out at night, ensure it is hours ahead of the time you plan to turn in for the night. The body goes through stages when it’s preparing to go to sleep. Working out stimulates the body and makes it harder to enter that deep sleep.

Allowing your heart rate to slow and body temperature to decrease before getting in bed is key if working out at night.

5. Can I Eat Snacks?

Eating snacks before bed is fine, but it depends on the type of snacks you eat. Do you want fruit or chips?

Junk food usually contains large amounts of fats and sugars. When eaten throughout the day, the body has a chance of breaking down those foods. Although when eaten right before bed, the body does not have a chance to break them down and becomes stored up fat.

This can cause unnecessary weight gain and can cause you to wake up groggy and miserable. Go with fruits or vegetables if you need something to eat before bed. Eating it hours before you go to bed if you want a meal.

Conclusion

When going to bed, it is best to have a routine telling the body that it’s time to sleep. It makes the process easier and helps the body slow down before bed. There are some things you need to avoid to help this transition.