Do nots before bed

Tick tock, it's time to sleep, you have something important tomorrow. You know you need to wake up early tomorrow...but… you are not sleepy and could not sleep yet. You tossed and turned in bed and tried to force yourself to sleep. However, everything just doesn’t seem to make you fall asleep. This can be annoying. We have look at some possible factors that might be preventing you from drifting off to sleep.

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1. Doing sports (esports as well)

Some of us tend to exercise late at night as we are either too busy in the day or just never bother to wake up early in the morning to exercise. However, have you ever realised that falling asleep seems harder right after a workout session? According to studies, this is because our body gets warmer after exercising, and our heart is pounding at the highest rate. This makes us difficult to fall asleep.

Other than physical sports, many of us are into esports aka video games. Playing video games before bedtime actually makes it harder for us to fall asleep as the white and blue light from digital devices prevents our brain from releasing a specific hormone that alerts our body to sleep. Video games kept us excited and addicted and we often ended up spending more time than we intended on it.

However, don’t be afraid, there are still sports that are suitable for us to do before sleeping such as yoga or simple stretching. These activities enhance your sleeping quality.

2. Food with (hidden) caffeine

Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and tea often keep us up at night. However, everyone reacts to caffeine differently- some couldn’t consume any kind of caffeine 8 hours before sleep (this means no milktea for them even in late afternoon ☹), while others can completely defeat caffeine and do not feel anything at all.

However, do you know that many food are caffeinated - for example, soda and chocolate. Be sure to check out the nutrition labels and know your own level of tolerance against caffeine for a good, quality sleep. You will not want to end up tossing and turning around on the bed and only to realise that this is due to the matcha latte you had earlier in the day.

3. Alcohol

Yes, alcohol such as red wine, does seem to help in putting us to sleep. But have you ever noticed the comparison of your heart rate during a sleep without alcohol, and a sleep with alcohol drinks? You'd probably find that your average sleeping heart rate is higher when you drink before going to bed. Studies have indeed found that drinking (especially in excess) before bed can affect our body adversely in several ways, in particular, decreases our rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is crucial for memory and concentration. Next time when you can’t sleep, don’t turn to a glass of wine or a can of beer, try having a cup of warm milk instead and feel the magic!

4. Getting a heavy meal

Have you ever felt hungry before sleeping and decided to go for a McDonald's meal set as supper? Normally this will end up with us couldn't sleep after the meal because our stomachs are too full? Your stomach needs time to digest food, and getting full meals before sleep can lead to indigestion, so don't overeat. Try having some light snacks or sleep-inducing food instead for supper, they are a better alternative for supper.

Ultimately, the most important thing is to understand the factors that hinder you from getting a good sleep, and avoid these before bed. As everyone is born differently, it could be possible that not all of us are subjected to the same factors. However, it’s always good to take note and be well aware of these don’ts, as although they might not be preventing you from sleeping, various studies have found them to be bringing adverse impacts to your body. Here’s to a comfy good night’s sleep!