Common mistakes that affect sleep

Humans spend a third of their lives sleeping. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three Americans sleep less than the recommended seven to nine hours a night. A 2020 YouGov survey in the UK found that 18% of people sleep less than six hours a night, which experts consider “unhealthy.”

Lack of sleep has serious health consequences. According to Dr. Alaina Tiani, clinical psychologist and member of the sleep disorders center at Cleveland Clinic, short and shallow sleep leads to decreased concentration and memory, feelings of sadness and irritability, and causes a number of diseases such as weakened immunity and hormonal dysfunction.

Experts point out some common sleeping mistakes and how to fix them.

Unable to estimate one’s own sleep time

Many people have haphazard sleep schedules, not estimating or measuring how many hours they sleep a day, but just doing it instinctively, says Dr. Kenneth Lee, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Chicago.

For adults, experts recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. However, this is only a general guideline, and sleep hours should be adjusted depending on each person’s physical condition and age. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously slept only 4 hours per night. Actress Dakota Johnson once shared that she “cannot function normally” if she sleeps less than 10 hours per night.

To check whether you’re getting enough sleep, Lee says people should pay attention to their mood and work performance. “Are you irritable? Having trouble concentrating? Feeling sleepy during the day? If so, get more sleep,” Lee says.

Eating too much or too little before bed

Eating too much right before bed can lead to discomfort, indigestion, and heartburn, all of which can disrupt your sleep. Similarly, eating too little can leave you feeling hungry, which can also disrupt your sleep.

Fernandez-Mendoza explains that the human body has a hunger-satiety cycle that is similar to the sleep cycle. By making sure to eat three meals a day at the same time, people can manage their hunger-satiety cycle and their sleep cycle.

Using phone before going to bed

One of the most common mistakes people make is using electronic devices before bed. The blue light emitted by smartphones, computers, or televisions can increase alertness, making it harder to fall asleep, says Patricio Escalante, MD, a pulmonary and sleep specialist at the Mayo Clinic.

Experts have mixed opinions on the effects of blue light and sleep disorders. However, another factor that keeps device users awake is the content they consume before bed. Social media news can sometimes be too exciting, scary, sensational, or disturbing, affecting their ability to fall asleep.

Napping too much

Napping is a great way to quickly rest and recharge during the day. However, experts say that each person should only take short naps, under 30 minutes. Napping for too long will affect the body’s need for sleep at night, disrupting everyone’s normal sleep schedule.

“Cutting nap time down to half an hour is ideal,” says Escalante.

Not getting enough sleep on weekdays and catching up on sleep on weekends

Many people habitually undersleep on weekdays, thinking they can catch up on sleep on the weekends. But this lifestyle is not healthy, says Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, professor of behavioral health and psychology at Penn State College of Medicine.

If sleep is disrupted regularly, people accumulate a “sleep debt.” A few naps or late nights on the weekend are not enough to make up for this debt. Chronic sleep deprivation during the week leaves the body feeling tired and sluggish.

A 2022 study in the journal Trends in Neuroscience found that after one to two weeks of sleeping less than seven hours, people’s natural sense of sleepiness was reduced. People caught up on sleep for a day or two, thinking their bodies had compensated. But fatigue and weakness remained.

Drink too much coffee and alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol can both disrupt sleep, says Dr. Escalante. It takes about eight hours for the body to metabolize caffeine.

“This means that if you drink coffee at 3pm, you will still be awake at 10pm,” he explains.

Alcohol makes you feel tired and sleepy, but it doesn’t help you get deep, healthy sleep. A 2014 study found that consuming large amounts of alcohol before bed can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle, affect your sleep hygiene, and cause you to wake up during the night.