INNOCENT HABITS THAT ARE RUINING YOUR SLEEP AT NIGHT:

➠ Brushing your teeth right before bed: The bright light of the bathroom, combined with the refreshing taste of your toothpaste might give you a second wind when you should be winding down.  Try brushing earlier.  

➠ Checking Facebook one last time:  Experts recommend turning electronics off two hours before bed, in order not to expose yourself to “blue light” which can cause your brain to believe you should be awake. 

➠ You catch up on sleep on the weekend:  If you build up a “sleep debt” during the week and sleep in on the weekend, you could mess up your body’s sleep cycle, and find yourself not able to fall asleep on Sunday evening, leading to a vicious circle.  Don’t overdo the sleeping in. 

➠ You love being productive at night:  Finish your stressful activities early in the evening, so your mind isn’t racing when it’s time to be sleeping. And if you need to do late-night work, be sure to have some wind-down time before going to bed. 

➠ Cranking the heat:  Your body cools down at night, so keeping your bedroom toasty can confuse it into thinking it’s still early. Most experts recommend keeping your bedroom around 17°C. 

➠ Coffee in the afternoon:  Or tea, or fizzy drinks. Caffeine stays in your system longer than you’d think.  While it doesn’t apply to everyone, for many, it’s best to lay off after lunch.

➠ Eating late:  It can make your body put more energy into digestion than into sleeping soundly.  And can lead to weight gain. 

➠ Nightcaps:  Yes, it may help you sleep, but alcohol makes the quality of your sleep suffer.  It suppresses deep REM sleep, the dreaming period when your body restores itself. 

from Reader’sDigest