"Because I exercise before bed?"… 6 reasons I can't sleep.

A good night's sleep is essential for good health. Consistently not getting enough sleep is known to increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. To ensure a good night's sleep, it's important to go to bed and wake up at consistent times. Establishing a routine that allows you to relax your body and mind before bed can also be helpful.

On the other hand, there are habits that can unknowingly hinder your sleep. The British daily newspaper Daily Mail introduced six behaviors to avoid for a good night's sleep, as suggested by sleep expert Professor Russell Foster.

 

Overeating or eating before bed = Eating a large meal close to bedtime can cause sleep disruption. This is because the process of digesting food raises your core body temperature, making it more difficult to fall asleep. The body's circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep, causes a slight drop in core body temperature before bedtime. Disrupting this process, such as by eating before bed, can make it difficult to fall asleep and reduce sleep quality. This is especially true if you've eaten spicy or fatty foods. Furthermore, overeating late at night before bed can impair digestion and increase the risk of acid reflux.

Exercise = Professor Foster recommends avoiding strenuous exercise within two hours of bedtime. Just like overeating, exercise raises your body temperature. If you can't find time to exercise except late at night, a warm bath afterward can be helpful. This is because the blood vessels in your hands, feet, arms, and legs dilate, diverting blood from the core to the periphery, lowering your core temperature. However, the bath should be moderately warm, not too hot, to be effective.

 

bright lights = The bedroom should be dimly lit. Exposure to very bright light in the evening can alter your body's clock, making it harder to fall asleep. Natural light influences your sleep-wake cycle. When the sun rises, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that induces wakefulness. As darkness falls, melatonin, a hormone that induces sleepiness, is produced. Professor Foster explains that light from cell phones, laptops, e-readers, and even desk lamps can disrupt this process, leaving you too awake to relax and fall asleep.

 

Smartphone = It's not just the light from your smartphone. Checking social media before bed, indulging in negative thoughts, or reading the news, which can be stressful, can make it difficult to relax and fall asleep. Professor Foster said most people aren't struggling with sleep, but rather with stress and anxiety. Therefore, he recommends engaging in other relaxing activities, such as meditation or reading, instead of looking at your phone.

It's also a good idea to keep your phone physically away while you sleep. If you wake up and accidentally glance at your phone, you'll likely miss sleep as you're busy sifting through notifications that have piled up.

 

Coffee in the afternoon = According to Professor Foster, drinking caffeinated beverages after 2 p.m. can make it difficult to fall asleep. While caffeine's stimulating effects kick in within 15 minutes, it persists in the body for several hours. Caffeine is structurally similar to adenosine, a chemical naturally found in the brain that causes sleepiness. Caffeine binds to adenosine receptors, blocking adenosine and maintaining wakefulness. Drinking coffee late in the day can leave high levels of caffeine in your system even after bedtime.

Alcohol = Initially, alcohol may help you fall asleep. The sedative effect of alcohol can make you feel drowsy more quickly. However, drinking disrupts REM sleep, which is essential for memory, learning, and creativity. Drinking too much before bed can actually interfere with important brain processes like memory formation. Furthermore, because alcohol is metabolized throughout the night, you may wake up more frequently.

 

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Lifestyle habits and morning routines

Take care and have a proper evening routine

I don't think you're taking care of it

Just one hour before going to bed

I need to prepare before going to sleep

It goes into deep sleep mode.