Young beautiful sick woman feeling ill and bad lying on bed suffering headache and temperature trying to rest and sleep on bed.
There are so many things we do and take for granted, without really thinking about their effects and potential consequences. It has been stressed so much that good sleep on a quality mattress is crucial for our health, both physical and mental.
Yet we keep compromising the quality sleep for a number of not so important, yet quite harmful sleeping habits. Some things might seem like a usual harmless habit, yet we should be aware of the full effect it can have on our health.
This is a list of bedtime habits you don’t even think about and take as something that’s a part of your daily routine, but that can actually negatively affect your whole life. Take this as a wakeup call to change them.
Skimping Out On Your Bed, Mattress, and Pillow
The quality of your mattress and pillow can seriously define the quality of your life and your health. You may not be aware of it, but a bad mattress or pillow can be the source of you headaches, backaches, allergies, insomnias and similar troubles.
So make sure you find something that will enhance the quality of your sleep, and not ruin your life. Of course, look for something affordable, but also make sure you don’t choose the cheapest option just because of the price as it may cost you dearly.
Look for a pillow and mattress that are suitable for your way of sleeping, that are anatomic and comfortable, and preferably made of anti-allergen natural materials. Today, mattress makers offer a really wide variety of different products for different sleeping styles and different price ranges, so you are bound to find something useful for yourself. If you can’t find all in one, at least make sure they meet most of these requirements.
Eating before Bed
This is something that a lot of people do, for various reasons. Some simply can’t resist the urge and hunger, even though they’ve eaten enough during the day. Others often don’t have time to eat a decent meal during the day, so that’s the only period of the day when they manage to grab a bite.
Whatever the reason, this unhealthy habit needs to be changed as soon as possible. I know that in my case, I have awful dreams and wake up all tired and broken when going to bed immediately after a substantial supper.
And it’s not only my personal feeling; it’s been scientifically proven that, once you eat, your body starts digesting the food, and that’s quite a long process, which continues long after you have fallen sleep. This means your body remains active and can’t really get proper rest. Also, a lot of toxins are being released during digestion, and not expelled in time, as you are sleeping, so they have time to negatively affect your body and even get accumulated. So your last meal in a day should be a few hours before going to bed, preferably around 3 hours prior. In case you really need to eat later, make sure it’s something light, and not some heavy, greasy food.
Drinking Too Much Liquid before Bed
Just as with food, you shouldn’t exaggerate with any liquid before sleep, not even water. I believe the reason for this is obvious, as you don’t want any interruptions of your peaceful slumber, plus it’s really not good for your bladder. So even something good and useful for your health such as water can be detrimental to your sleep.
Next, you should definitely avoid drinks with high caffeine levels as they are likely to keep you up for longer than recommended, plus they are really not good for you heart.
Finally, even though you may think it can sometimes help you fall asleep faster, you should nevertheless avoid drinking alcohol before going to bed. Even though it does make you drowsy and sleepy, once metabolized, alcohol can actually disturb your sleep. Also, even as little as one glass of wine can give you a headache in the morning, so don’t forget about that.
Getting a good night sleep may be difficult for a number of reasons, so don’t make it even harder by doing these things. Small changes can bring about a really big shift in the quality of your sleep.
