Home LivingWellnessSleep6 common sleep myths debunkedPopular misconceptions could be ruining the quality of your kip. We put the spotlight on common sleep myths, and explain why they’re wrongWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingWellnessSleep6 common sleep myths debunkedPopular misconceptions could be ruining the quality of your kip. We put the spotlight on common sleep myths, and explain why they’re wrongWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Popular misconceptions could be ruining the quality of your kip. We put the spotlight on common sleep myths, and explain why they’re wrong
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Artem Podrez / Pexels)
(Image credit: Artem Podrez / Pexels)
Getting enough quality sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing. But while we hear a lot about diet and exercise, there’s not much talk in the media, or society at large, about getting a good night’s sleep. Consequently, many common sleep myths have arisen that can lead to confusion to, and even harm the quality of your sleep.
And that’s a problem, because there’s no point in investing in thebest mattressif poor sleeping habits are preventing you from getting proper kip. So, if you’re not waking up refreshed and energised in the morning, it may be that you’ve fallen prey to some of the fallacies, misunderstandings and outright falsehoods surrounding sleep.
Myth: You can catch up on sleep later
Yes, getting a little extra sleep on the weekends can help you feel more rested. But it won’t make up for the lost sleep during the week. In fact, irregular sleep patterns like this disrupt the body’s circadian rhythms and make it harder, long-term, to fall asleep and wake at the same time each day. This can lead to poor sleep quality, insomnia and health problems, some of which you wouldn’t necessarily associate with sleep.
For example, a2019 study in the journal Diabetes Carefound that not sticking to a regular bedtime and wakeup schedule, and getting different amounts of sleep each night, can put you at higher risk for obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, high blood sugar and other metabolic disorders.
As well as the body, this can affect your mind too.A 2007 study published in the journal Sleepfound that people who regularly slept less than six hours during the week and tried to catch up on the weekends had worse cognitive performance and reaction times compared to those who regularly slept seven to eight hours per night.
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If you’re finding it difficult to get into a regular sleep pattern, read our article5 steps to the perfect bedtime routineto set things on the right track.
Myth: Alcohol helps you sleep
Having problems falling asleep? Then you may be tempted to drink a glass of wine or a tot of rum to help you on your way. But while alcohol may help youget tosleep, it actually damages the quality of your sleepoverall.
That’s because alcohol disrupts your normal sleep cycle, so you end up spending more time in the lighter stages of sleep and less time in the deep, restorative stages. This can lead to feeling tired and sleepy the next day, even if you technically slept for a long time. If you drink alcohol before bed on a regular basis, this can also make it more difficult to get to sleep long-term. Many studies have found evidence that habitual alcohol use before bedtime can lead to frequent waking and bouts of insomnia.
It’s clear, then, alcohol cannot help your sleep, and in fact, is likely to harm it. So if you’re having trouble sleeping, addressing the amount you drink is a good first step. If you’re still struggling to get to sleep, don’t reach for the bottle, but follow the advice in our articlehow to fall asleep quickly: 5 techniques to try.
(Image credit: Cottonbro Studio / Pexels)
(Image credit: Cottonbro Studio / Pexels)
Myth: Adults only need five or six hours' sleep
Let’s be clear: this is a complete myth. After convening a panel of experts in 2015, theNational Sleep Foundation recommendedthat young adults get 7-9 hours' sleep and older adults get 7-8 hours. There’s a related myth that when you reach old age you need less sleep. Again, this is confusing whatactuallyhappens with whatshouldhappen.
In practice, many seniors experience shorter periods of deep sleep and more frequent awakenings during the night because of the various health problems that come with old age. But that doesn’t mean the body requires less sleep. In fact, the CDC (the national public health agency of the United States) recommends that people between 60 and 64 get 7-9 hours of sleep a night, and those aged 65+ get 7-8 hours. That might not be achievable, but you should at least aim for it.
Myth: Sleeping pills are safe
Having trouble sleeping? If you go to your doctor, and they don’t have the time or inclination to properly assess you, there’s a good chance they’ll prescribe sleeping pills. And most people think that means they’re perfectly safe. Unfortunately, no medicine is completely safe. It’s simply a case of balancing the risks of taking medicine with the risks ofnottaking it.
If insomnia is having a severe impact on your physical and mental health, then yes, in the short term sleeping pills can be the least-worst option. But these medicines often come with side effects, and over time they can become as addictive, and potentially damaging, as illegal drugs.
For this reason, sleeping pills should only be a last resort, and it’s better to first prioritise healthy sleep habits, such as creating a relaxing environment tosleep better at night, and practicing relaxation techniques. If those don’t work, then you may need to address the underlying causes that are preventing you from sleep through talking therapies.
(Image credit: Cottonbro Studio / Pexels)
(Image credit: Cottonbro Studio / Pexels)
Myth: Napping is bad for you
Many people believe napping will stop you getting a good night’s sleep. Again, this goes back to the idea of sleep being like an overdraft. If you follow this (mistaken) logic, then any sleep you ‘withdraw’ during the day will mean you get less sleep at night.
This is, however, a myth. In fact, research has shown that taking short naps during the day can improve mood, alertness, and cognitive performance… as long as they’re kept short and not taken too close to bedtime.
For example, inthis studyfrom the journal Sleep, people who napped for 10 or 20 minutes reported the biggest benefits; while those who napped for longer experienced similar benefits, but only after about half an hour of feeling groggy. For more on this topic, read our article onhow long should you nap for?.
Myth: Eating cheese before bed gives you vivid dreams
We’ll end with a myth about sleeping that’s less dangerous than others on this list, but still completely false.
The idea that eating cheese before bed gives you vivid dreams originated from a study in the 1970s that found a correlation between the two. However, subsequent research has failed to replicate these findings, and nowadays experts agree that the theory has no validity.
Part of the reason people used to think cheese affects sleep quality because it contains tryptophan. This amino acid is involved in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can affect mood and sleep. However, the amount is pretty tiny and so it’s unlikely to have a significant effect on either dreams or the quality of your sleep.
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