4 Common Sleep Myths

Dear Friends,

I want to tell you about an article I read. Did you know, according to the National Sleep Foundation, the average human spends about one-third of their life sleeping?… well neither did I. However, the article goes on to say that this time equates to almost 26 years spent sleeping. Oddly enough, if all this is true, at my current age, that means that twenty-three years of my life has been spent trying to get to sleep! 

Ladies, we know the importance of some good shut-eye, there are many details about sleep that still remain a mystery to us.  I like sleeping but let my Fella tell it…I don’t get enough rest.  In this post, I will be deflating the importance of 4 standard myths about sleep!

MYTH #1 Exercising before bedtime is bad.

Many people will avoid exercising at night because they mistakenly believe a late-night sweat session will get their blood pumping and heart rate up and thus, make it more difficult to get to sleep.  However, my Fella has proven this is not true.  Even after working a double shift he will come home and work out for at least 15-20 minutes, take a shower and fall asleep with no problem. 

So, recent research has found no connection between late workouts and poor sleep.  In fact, one study found its participants who vigorously exercised an hour and a half before going to bed experienced a deeper and less restless sleep than their less-active counterparts.  Therefore, I take this to mean…exercise whenever you like.

MYTH #2 Your brain will adapt.

Though most adults are aware they should be getting between seven and eight hours of sleep a night, it’s incorrectly believed you can reduce the amount of sleep you get at night and still function well. Look the regular lack of sleep can result in sleep deprivation, which is connected to multiple physical and mental health problems, not to mention decreased productivity and increased safety issues.

I admit I’m guilty of depriving myself of much-needed sleep. And, as a result of not getting enough sleep, my creative flow becomes dull which forces me to work even harder at something that I love to do.  Therefore, guess who needs to work on getting enough sleep?

MYTH #3 You can become a morning person.

Ladies, when asked whether you’re a morning person or night owl, what is your typical answer?   Mine is by far a night owl.  So look at what else I read…”if you’re a night owl hoping to make the transition to a morning person, it could be harder than you think. Despite the numerous articles listing tips for becoming a morning person, research shows one’s natural preference towards the late hours of the night versus the early morning hours is actually genetic. It’s possible to trick your body into going to bed and waking up slightly earlier than you’re used to, but that’s exactly what it is – a trick.”

Let me tell you, I don’t trick nor treat.  Therefore, I resolve to respect who I am … (saying this with a side-eye to my Fella) I am and will always be a morning person.

MYTH #4 Repeatedly hitting the snooze button.

Everybody knows—and dreads—the sound of their alarm. In fact, so many people dislike immediately waking up they choose instead to set multiple alarms. I guess the purpose is that the alarms slowly wake them up over a longer period of time.  But it turns out, disruptions like this seriously cut into your REM sleep,  which we usually get right before we wake up.

Therefore, you could correct this by simply setting your alarm for the latest possible time you can wake up to get ready.

After all that, I want you to know that many people have trouble with some part of their sleep routine. Whether it’s not getting enough sleep, getting too much, waking up too often, or tossing and turning through the night.  Unfortunately, many of those sleep-related issues come from our own misconceptions. Therefore, I would say by gaining a better understanding of your sleep behavior, you can develop better sleep habits that may finally get you the sleep you need.