Sleeping Habits Everyone Has Without Realizing

1. What do your sleeping habits say about you?

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Everyone has patterns when it comes to their bedtime routines. Good sleep impacts everything from your health to your quality of life. Good habits can help with mood, stress, and immune system. Bad habits can cause weight gain, high blood pressure and memory tissues.

2. Are your habits helping or hurting?

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We develop our sleeping patterns without even realizing it. Whether they're positive or negative, there are probably certain things you're doing every night that are affecting your sleeping routine. Let's take a look at some of the most common good and bad habits!

3. Checking your phone before bed

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Let's start with one that we're basically all guilty of! If you love to scroll TikTok before you go to sleep, you could be hurting your sleep. The blue light from your phone stops your body from producing melatonin, which is a hormone that helps you fall asleep! If you want to change this habit, implement an electronics curfew and try to get off all screens at least one hour before bedtime.

4. You keep a consistent bedtime

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This one is a GREAT habit to get into. You might find that you want a more consistent sleep schedule, so you go to bed at the same time every day. This is super beneficial, especially if you wake up at the same time each day. Experts say, if you only have one or the other, try to get up at the same time each day, it will help regulate you on the nights you get more or less sleep!

5. You fall asleep with the TV on

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So, we know it seems so nice to fall asleep with the TV on sometimes. But in reality, it disrupts your sleep in two ways! It emits blue light which stops melatonin, and it also makes noise which will give you a more restless sleep. If you can't quit cold turkey, try at least turning down the brightness and setting a timer for the TV to shut off on its own!

6. Taking too many naps

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We know those afternoon naps are soooo tempting. Especially if you work from home, it can seem like a great way to get an after lunch snooze in. However, when you nap, it messes up your "sleep debt" that your body is building for night time. If you really don't think you can make it without a nap, don't sleep more than 30 minutes!

7. Showering too close to bedtime

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Did you know your shower time may be a sleep habit you've built without realizing it? Experts say your body temperature starts to drop around 10:30pm. This drop helps produce melatonin. So if you take a hot shower, the best time to do it is about 90 minutes before you go to sleep. It will help your body cool after the warmth and make you feel cosy. If warm showers aren't your thing, a cool bath will also help you regulate faster.

8. Drinking tea before bed

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Caffeine before bed will definitely keep you up. But if you drink a cup of decaffeinated tea (herbal or otherwise) before bed, it can actually help you fall asleep. If you drink a sleepy time tea, even better. The warmth of the cup of tea can actually soothe you and act as a mental cue that it's time to wind down.

9. Pay attention to what time you're exercising

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This one requires you to know who you are a little bit. Some people feel energized by exercising, while others find that it relaxes them. Depending on where you fall, figure out a workout schedule that works for you. According to doctors, working out before bed is not the best because it weakens your nervous system. But if it works for you, that's totally okay!

10. But definitely exercise!

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If you get regular exercise, then you're actually forming a sleeping habit without even realizing it. Experts say that those who choose to exercise regularly have overall better sleeping habits, and better quality of sleep! Getting enough exercise helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

11. Charging your phone by your bed

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We've already talked about scrolling social media before bed. Charging your phone by your bed can actually also be a big distraction! If you forget to turn off the notifications, your brain actually has an emotional connection to that sound, even if you don't realize it. So much so that it can immediately take you out of a deep sleep! Experts say to invest in an alarm clock and leave your phone in the other room overnight!

12. Finding the right pillow

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Choose a pillow that is tailored you the position that you sleep in. For example, if you tend to be a back or stomach sleeper, find a thinner pillow. If you sleep on your side, then you will want a little bit of extra cushion. Too many pillows can put strain on your neck which ultimately makes it harder to reach deep sleep.

13. Maybe skip the nighttime glass of wine

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Did you know that alcohol acts as a sedative? Sounds good right? It slows your brain activity which may help you fall asleep, BUT it interferes with you staying asleep. It can also cause nightmares, which will leave you feeling WAY less rested. Try to not consume alcohol within 4 hours of going to bed.

14. You smoke before bed

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Smoking illegal substances can definitely help you sleep better, but different strains affect your body in different ways. Sativa will make you feel more energized. On the other hand, indica will help you feel calm and relaxed. While weed affects every person in different ways, if you want to take a toke before bed, it might be in your best interest to stick to indica!

15. Sleeping in on the weekends

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Hate to break it to you, but sleeping in on the weekends, even 25-30 extra minutes, can really mess you up! You're not actually catching up on sleep. You're just messing with the circadian rhythm your body has gotten into. This means that it'll be harder to fall asleep the next night. Try going to bed earlier instead if you need more rest!

16. Drinking a lot of liquids

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Hydration throughout the day is very important! But experts say that you should slow down on how much liquid you're consuming around 2 hours before bed. On a super basic level, make sure to go to the bathroom before bed, and if you do get up in the middle of the night, try to not turn on the overhead lights as it will take you out of your sleep pattern.

17. Your bedroom is multi-purpose

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Some of us don't have the option to separate where we sleep and where we work. This builds a sleep habit whether we realize it or not. If you can, only use your bedroom for sleeping. In other words, don't eat and watch TV in bed or get all your work done on your laptop from bed. Try to keep your room dark and quiet at a reasonably cool temperature. This helps you mentally associate your bedroom with sleeping.

18. Being mindful of what you eat

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Did you know that a healthy diet is a contributor to your sleep habits? Making sure you get the right nutrients during the day will help you rest your head at night. That being said, having a big meal right before bed can make it hard to fall asleep. But research shows that a small snack before bed can actually promote better sleep! Nighttime snacks for the win!

19. Reading in bed

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This one is hard, because experts say that 30 minutes of reading before bed can help you fall asleep. But the light exposure can do the opposite. If you want to maximize the feeling of reading before bed, try to use a book light rather than having on the full overhead lights. Experts also say that reading non-fiction before bed is something to avoid. If you're reading about how to fix your finances or self-help, it can stimulate your brain too much!

20. One more thing on the eating

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When you choose to indulge in a bedtime snack, avoid things that are protein packed or super fatty. Your body has to put in a lot of energy to digest these things. Sleep snacks that are great for you before bed are things with whole-grain carbs or things that are rich in calcium. So that's things like cheese, nuts, toast, and peanut butter. It's also been said that kiwi is a great bedtime snack, because it gives your brain serotonin which helps you calm down.

21. You do the same pattern every night

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A lot of people have bedtime rituals that they don't even think about, because it's become such a part of what they do. Maybe you love to take a warm bath or read a book or listen to your favorite music. Whatever it is you pick, it should be something that's relaxing and acts as a mental cue for your body that it's almost time to sleep.

22. Glancing at the clock in the middle of the night

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If you wake up in the middle of the night, your natural inclination is to check the clock. Did you know that this habit can actually be detrimental to your sleep? When you do the mental math of the time and how much sleep you have left, your brain is activated and it will be harder to go back to sleep!

23. It's too hot in your room

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The room temperature can deeply affect your sleeping pattern. Cooler is better, but when the room is too hot, your body can't regulate, which means you're in for a restless night. You don't want to be too cold though either. If you're a little too warm, the sticking your foot out from under the cover actually truly works! Your soles dissipate body heat really well, which means you'll cool right down!

24. Keeping lights on until you go to sleep

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Similar to spending too much time on your phone, you should also be dimming your lights about an hour and a half before you want to go to sleep. This helps your body to produce melatonin. They do make lightbulbs that will filter out the blue lights so that your eyes and brain won't be bothered.

25. Grooming and skincare

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Not only is it super important for you to wash your face and put on moisturizer before bed, it also helps you mentally prepare for a state of rest. The same goes for brushing your teeth and any of the other grooming and skincare techniques you may do. There are little habits that we all do each night that change the way we sleep!

26. Do you consume a lot of caffeine?

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Whether it's caffeine or nicotine, both are stimulants that can mess up your sleep. If you partake in both of these regularly, your body may also go into withdrawal every night! If you're experiencing restless sleep, try cutting these out and not having caffeine after 12pm.

27. Flipping to the cool side of the pillow

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Everyone has a preferred sleeping position and way to hold their pillow. It's also pretty universal that people prefer a cool pillow. Did you know that the ideal sleeping temperature is 65 degrees? So whether you realize it or not, your body is in the habit of self-regulating its temperature and finding the most comfortable and safest sleeping position.

28. Not getting enough sunlight

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So this is a sleep pattern that actually takes place in the morning! Getting sunlight exposure when you first wake up helps stop the melatonin production in your body and resets your sleep pattern for the day. The sunlight will also make you feel more alert, so add some outside time to your morning routine! Experts say this is one of the best things you can do for your sleep routine.

29. Examine your sleep habits

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Now that you know some sleeping patterns you're probably doing without even realizing it, take a second and gauge how your body feels. When you wake up each day, you should feel rested and ready to take on the day. If you're waking up feeling groggy every day, it might be time to change some of your patterns.

30. You can change your patterns!

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Good sleep leads to a healthier mind, body, and soul! Researchers have even said quality sleep can help reduce risks for cancer! When you're well rested, it's easier to engage in a healthy and active lifestyle, to excel at school or work, and have clearer focus when it comes to relationships and your outlook on life!