by Dr Deborah Lee, Dr Fox Online Pharmacy
Photo by Sammy Williams on Unsplash
Getting enough sleep, and good quality sleep, should not be regarded as an optional extra – it’s an emergency! However, in our quest for a good night’s sleep, there are lots of sleep myths that if we believe them, could be doing us more harm than good.
Read on and see!
Myth 1 – Long sleep is better for your health
We know that getting too little sleep is bad for health, but in fact, getting too much sleep is also detrimental. Studies have shown people who sleep more than the recommended 7-9 hours sleep are more likely to have chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In fact, long sleepers have a 20%-30% increased risk of mortality compared to short sleepers.
Some sleep experts have suggested too much sleep may be more harmful than too little sleep!
Myth 2 – It doesn’t matter when you sleep
Sorry, but this is not true!
Your body is actually a very well designed machine. You have a collection of neurons called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, found in the brain, which govern your bodily functions on a 24 hour basis.
During the day, they sense natural daylight and keep you awake. First thing in the morning, your body produces the stress hormone cortisol to help you get through the day. In the evening as natural light fades and darkness sets in, your pineal gland produces melatonin, making you feel sleepy and ready for bed.
Many of your body processes such appetite, digestion, fluid balance, and mood are all controlled like this. This pattern is known as your Circadian rhythms.
Sleep problems, such as insomnia, and poor quality sleep, including frequent night-time waking and feeling tired in the mornings, are more common in people who do not sleep in time with their own Circadian rhythms.
You sleep and your health will improve if you set a good bedtime ritual in tune with your body clock. You do need 7-9 hours sleep at night, but you need this in line with your natural body functions. Late night, early starts, and shift work for example, play havoc with your sleep patterns.
Myth 3 – Eating cheese before bedtime gives you bad dreams
In 2005 The British Cheese Board set out to investigate this old wives’ tale. 200 volunteers were asked to eat 20 g of cheese, half an hour before bedtime. Their results showed quite the opposite.
72% slept well, 67% were able to remember their dreams, and none reported having any nightmares. Nutritionists commented that cheese contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which is known to help relieve stress and may actually aid sleep.
85% of volunteers who ate Stilton reported unusual dreams. 67% who are Cheddar dreamt of celebrities, and 65% who are Red Leicester dreamt of their school days. All the female volunteers who ate Brie described pleasant relaxing dreams.
In fact, the study investigators suggested eating cheese before bedtime was one way of making sleep more interesting!
Myth 4 – Drinking alcohol helps you sleep
Although you may fall asleep more quickly after drinking alcohol, you are more likely to have a disturbed night, and with reduced sleep quality. This is because alcohol affects the sleep-wake cycle.
After drinking six or more units in one evening, you are likely to have less all-important, restorative, REM sleep. This can make you feel tired and sleepy the next day.
If you drink alcohol before bedtime, you are also more likely to have to get up in the night to pass urine, as alcohol has a diuretic effect, and this too disrupts your sleep. You are also more likely to snore in your sleep after drinking alcohol, which again disturbs your sleep.
Myth 5 – Napping helps you catch up on sleep
Adults are required to have 7 -9 hours of sleep per night, but many of us never get anywhere this amount of sleep. In fact, once you have built up a large sleep debt it is impossible to make this up.
Sometimes people try to catch up on too little sleep in the week by having a lie-in at weekends. However, this is not nearly enough sleep. In one study, participants were said to need 4 days of sleep to make up for one hour of sleep debt!
Short naps of 10-30 minutes can make you feel more alert, but sleep experts warn that longer naps can just make you feel groggy and upset your natural sleep cycle. Rather than rely on naps, schedule time for sleep, and make getting enough good quality sleep, a priority.
Final thoughts
Getting enough good quality life is vital. Just knowing the basics can make a big difference to getting that elusive 7-9 hours per night! It’s time to revisit your bedtime routine and get into some good habits. I do hope that debunking these myths will help you.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
