- An NHS doctor has revealed five daily habits that are ruining your sleep
If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, then it might be time to ditch some unhealthy sleep habits.
A doctor has revealed the daily habits that can be ruining your sleep, and that’s bad news if you like to relax with a glass of wine.
Dr Karan Raj, an NHS surgeon and lecturer at the University of Sunderland, shared his advice with his 5.1 million followers on TikTok and many users were surprised by how much they took to it.
So, for anyone who needs a restful night’s sleep, here are the five things he claims you should avoid doing before bed, according to an expert.
Eating within 2 hours before going to bed
This is bad news for those who love midnight snacking, as the expert advises that you should wait at least two hours to sleep after a large meal.
Dr. Raj explained to his followers: “It takes 90 minutes for 50 percent of your stomach to empty into your small intestine.
“So the fuller your stomach is, the greater the chance of acid reflux, which can obviously harm your sleep.
“Ideally, wait two to three hours after a large meal before going to bed.”
One user jumped to defend her habit in the comments, saying: “I can’t sleep on an empty stomach, I’m hungry! Every night I have to eat something before bed.
Drink water before going to sleep
Drinking water before bed may be an obvious habit to break, as it can increase the time it takes to urinate at night.
Dr. Raj explained to his followers, “When you sleep, your body increases production of the hormone ADH, so it retains water and suppresses your need to urinate.
“If you drink a lot of water before bed, it can suppress the production of ADH, so you pee more and wake up more, and that ruins your sleep.”
Defending their habit, one user commented: “I can’t help it – I’ve found it helps me be less dehydrated when I wake up.”
Instead of drinking water at night, a more beneficial way to rehydrate is to drink water in the morning.
Sleeping in a hot room
Trying to sleep in the summer can be an impossible task. While the long days are welcome, the nights can be unbearable and sweaty.
And high temperatures can actually disrupt your sleep balance.
Dr. Raj explained, “Our peak body temperature is around 7 p.m.
“After that point the body temperature drops and we feel more sleepy and there is an increased production of melatonin.”
He added: “Our bodies need to get cooler to sleep faster.”
So dark, quiet, cool and comfortable bedrooms are synonymous with a good night’s sleep.
Like a nightcap
Many people use alcohol as a sleep aid because it can be a powerful somnogen (sleep-inducing agent), but alcohol is also known to disrupt sleep patterns.
Dr. Raj explains that alcohol confuses your REM sleep pattern, the stages of sleep, each of which has a specific function.
The NHS doctor showed a graphic to his followers on TikTok that observed alcohol-related sleep.
He explained that drinking alcohol before bed can increase the suppression of REM sleep during the first two sleep cycles because alcohol is a sedative and can quickly induce deep sleep.
As the night progresses, this can create an imbalance between slow wave sleep and REM sleep, which can lead to shorter sleep duration and more sleep interruptions.
So, because alcohol can reduce REM sleep, people who drink frequently before bed often experience symptoms of insomnia and feel overly sleepy, it is claimed.
To ensure a quality night’s sleep, Dr. Raj told his followers to “stop” drinking alcoholic beverages before bed.
Caffeine consumption
Most people welcome caffeine as a beneficial stimulant that makes you feel more awake.
But while it may give your morning a boost, an afternoon or evening coffee can throw your sleep off balance.
The maximum effect of caffeine is felt an hour after drinking it, at which point it reaches a peak in our blood. After that, depending on the individual’s metabolic rate, it can take up to eight hours to leave the body.
For those looking to restore sleep, avoid caffeine consumption in the afternoon, says Dr. Raj.
The older we are, the longer it takes for caffeine to leave our body due to a slower metabolism.
Explaining the science behind the stimulant, Dr Raj said: “Adenosine is the molecule that makes you feel sleepy and it binds to the adenosine receptor.
“Caffeine can also fit into the adenosine receptor and block adenosine from binding to it.
“Caffeine doesn’t make you more alert, it just makes you less sleepy because it prevents the sleep molecule from building up.”
So, for anyone struggling to get a good night’s sleep, it might be time to ditch the afternoon coffee.