Things to avoid before bed

Do you struggle to fall or stay asleep? If so, it could be due to your daily routine. There are several activities that can prevent you from achieving a restful night's sleep. Keep reading to learn more.

Things that give you anxiety

Try to stay away from things that will cause you to stress before bed. Examples include difficult conversations or arguments, horror movies, and social media or the news. An hour before going to bed, try to focus on things that will help you relax.

Caffeine, alcohol, and certain foods

There are nine foods and drinks that Sleep Health Solutions suggests you avoid close to bedtime. These foods and drinks include alcohol, caffeine, "heavy foods," and foods that are high in sugar. Alcohol is a sneaky one, since you may find you fall asleep faster by drinking it. However, it can actually make your sleep less productive. Caffeine, whether it's in food or a beverage (think chocolate, tea, soda, or coffee) can make it harder for your mind to achieve deep sleep. Foods that don't digest quickly, like fatty foods, might give you indigestion which will make it difficult to rest. Sugary foods can mess with your blood sugar and cause problems for your sleep cycle. Learn more about the foods you shouldn't be eating by checking out their list, hyperlinked above.

Bright lights and blue light

Both bright lights and blue light-emitting devices can make it harder for your mind to drift off, this is because it can prevent your brain from producing melatonin. "Melatonin's main job in the body is to regulate night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles." Close to bedtime, turn the lights down and if you are going to use devices, put on a blue light filter.

Exercise

While exercising daily can help you develop a better sleep cycle, if you do it too close to bedtime it can hinder your ability to rest. Make sure any exercise is completed an hour prior to going to bed. Any intense workouts like running or lifting hefty weights should be done earlier in the day and avoided anywhere near bedtime.

As you can see, there are several things that can affect the quality of your sleep. If you noticed that one of your daily habits is on this list, you may want to consider how you can make changes to improve sleep quality. If your mattress is what's hindering your sleep, please reach out to us at Mattress Dealzz. We're happy to help you get quality z's.

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