10 Things to Avoid to Maintain Best Sleeping Hygiene

July 03, 2019

So, sleeping is great. If not for the bosses, everyone would like to sleep forever. However, having a sound sleep is not as easy as it sounds. It may seem next to impossible sometimes to just fall on your comfy bed and go to that deep sleep. A lot of times you might find yourself tossing and turning while waiting for that elusive sleep. With all such disturbances during sleep, you may find yourself waking up feeling groggy and irritated with body pains and stiffness.

Ultimately, are there things that we should not be doing to get better sleep?

Yep, there are many.

Here are 10 things that you should avoid to get a good sleep.

Irregular Sleeping Pattern

There can be various reasons for sleeping at different hours in the night that may eventually lead to irregular sleeping habits. However, this small act of sleeping at different timings hinders the quality of sleep. It develops tension between our psychological and biological health. A sudden change in sleep patterns’ takes a toll on our health, as it results in chemical and hormonal imbalance in your body.

It is necessary to establish a sleeping pattern that provides us good sleep without any interruption. It helps in maintaining the sleeping clock of the body and provides the required time to recharge your energy to optimum levels.

Late Night Eating Habits

Our digestive system is geared to work best during day time. Late night snacking and munching habits are a complete no. A late night snack can leave you with poor sleep throughout the night. Moreover, there are certain kinds of foods that worsen sleep quality.

It is best to avoid munching on heavy greasy foods at night regularly, no matter how tasty they are. More importantly, try to eat as close to evening hours as possible. It is recommended by doctors that there should be a gap of at least 2 hours between dinner and sleep timings.

Avoid Smoking and Alcohol Before Bed

Apart from various other reasons as to why smoking is bad for your health, it is one of the main reasons for sleep deprivation, and it also affects the quality of sleep to a great deal.

Smoking makes it difficult for you to fall asleep as it affects the benefits of deep breathing, which helps to relax the mind at night. Similarly, it may seem like alcohol helps doze off earlier than the natural process, but it greatly affects the quality of sleep. After alcohol intake, sleep is irregular and the body does not get enough rest.

Avoiding alcohol and smoking will not only help in improving the natural process of falling asleep but also the quality of sleep and rest, that is required for the body to gain the rejuvenation it needs.

Intake of Caffeinated Beverages During Evening Hours

Intake of caffeinated beverages such as coffee and energy drinks improves the functioning of the nervous system in your body and hence increases your alertness. It requires at least 6-8 hours to eliminate caffeine from your system. Hence, the intake of such beverages at late hours will make you more alert during night and falling asleep will feel like a task. This is why you see people filling themselves with coffee if they want to stay up late.

Avoiding coffee, energy drinks, and such beverages afternoon will help your body to fall asleep naturally, without having to do the additional task of processing those beverages.

Improper Sleeping Posture

There are enough sleeping postures that have various benefits to the body while sleeping. One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the spine should maintain its curve and is not under any pressure when sleeping. This is why Durfi mattress is created to provide natural support to your spine, so that it stays in its “S” shape, as suggested by the orthopedist.

Postures such as a fetal position, sleeping on your side, sleeping on the stomach, flat on the back, etc., have different benefits and damages associated with them. While it may seem cozy to sleep on stomach and curling up on your bed, but you may be harming your body.

If there is one to choose from the above mentioned, lying flat on the back for sleeping has the most benefits on your body.

Clutter Around Bed

Though it may not look much, congestion in your bedroom may be affecting your sleeping quality all this while. An unorganized room and mess can lead to foggy mental state, which can later result in difficulty in clearing the mind when you are going to bed at night.

It is recommended to keep the bedroom and bed organized and clean so that there isn’t any clutter in the space where you sleep. Remember, a cluttered space represents a cluttered mind. Keeping your space clean also gives your mind a much-relaxed feeling.

Bad Quality of Mattress

Another factor that can affect sleep hygiene is the quality of the mattress. A bad mattress can not only lead to bad sleep, but it can cause spinal pain as well.

A medium firm mattress that does not sag is pretty helpful to improve sleep quality.

This criterion is outrightly fulfilled by Durfi Mattress that focuses on making a great quality mattress, providing great relief to your spine, neck, and joints. These mattresses are made with Cotton Candy Memory Foam, which provides the natural support that your body needs.

Avoid Electronic Gadgets’ Screen 1 Hour Before Sleeping

Artificial lighting and screen add up to the disturbances in sleep at night. Gadgets with Blue screens emit light of the blue wavelength that tricks your brain into thinking that it’s day time and then you face problems in falling asleep. Try to keep away from using your gadgets a few hours before sleeping to get the relaxation your brain requires.

Avoid Afternoon Naps

Naps are those shorter episodes of sneaky sleep that you take during the day time, leaving you feeling refreshed and rested. However, naps can contribute to sleep deprivation at night and make it more difficult to falling asleep or staying asleep at night.

Night sleep is majorly affected by naps that are longer than 20 minutes or naps close to night time sleeping hours. Staying awake for longer periods resulting in need of sleeping at night. Hence, it is best to avoid daytime naps to maintain proper sleep hygiene.

Restricted Physical Activity in Your Daily Routine

Lack of physical activity makes it difficult for the body to stay asleep for a longer period. High brain functioning work with minimal physical activity in today’s lifestyle is a major cause of decreased sleep quality.

It is advisable to maintain some physical activity in your daily life to make your body more compatible with the amount of work your brain is doing. As a result, the balance will be maintained and you will have good sleep.

Centuries of evolution have made us habitual of falling asleep at night to the core level of our bodies. But various factors in today’s lifestyle hinder that developed a natural state. Sleeping is a natural process and it will be highly beneficial for an individual if he or she keeps it as natural as possible, without much interference from the outside world and difficult situations at night.

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