Establishing good habits is not a quick process, especially sleeping habits. They take time, determination, and commitment. At times, it may even get hard trying to identify which sleeping habits are no longer serving you. If you're growing tired of unsuccessfully trying to separate bad sleeping habits from good, it may be time to broaden your resources. 

If this sounds like an overwhelming task, don't worry. The easiest way to broaden your horizons is by simply reading. Reading more about improving your sleep quality will help you identify your mistakes. 

Are you looking for a place to start your sleep research? You’ve come to the right place. For an easy start, here is a list of unproductive habits that interfere with your sleep and how to break them.

Late Night Work

The nighttime seems like the perfect time to catch up on work or get ahead of deadlines. While you may reduce tomorrow’s workload, this requires staying up late.

Your body has an internal clock that controls your sleep pattern. As you sleep, it releases essential biomolecules like melatonin that help your body heal, rejuvenate, rest, grow, and regulate sugar and weight. However, this internal clock uses light, among other cues, to work effectively. For instance, melatonin only gets released at night.

Working at night reduces the window frame for these biomolecules to do their job, which is why you wake up worn out, grumpy and with poor concentration. You can also gain weight because of poor sugar regulation. Try going to bed at the same time every night to maintain your sleep cycle and wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested.

Using Your Phone in Bed

After spending the whole day working and meeting your responsibilities, it makes sense to wind down by catching up on messages, social media, and the day’s events at night in your bed. Unfortunately, this harmless action interferes with the activity of sleep hormones that depend on darkness to start functioning. For instance, your body starts secreting melatonin as soon as the sun sets. However, peak release happens in the dead of the night when no artificial lights are on.

Blue light from your phone interferes with this process. Melatonin is a hormone that cues your body to sleep. When the amount released is insufficient, you may not get the right kick to fall and stay asleep. 

To break this habit, try placing your phone, laptop, and tablet across the room 30 minutes before you get in bed.

If you need something to keep you busy until you grow tired, try reading a book or journaling. 

Late-Night Workouts

Intense physical exercises seem perfect for a restless night because you assume the workout will tire you out. However, while your body may be exhausted, your mind will remain active because late-night workouts stimulate the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which keep the mind alert. It will take even longer to fall asleep. If you are restless at night, try relaxation exercises like yoga or meditation to calm your body and mind and enhance restfulness.

Extending Your Sleep Time

Elongating your sleeping time makes sense on weekends, off days, and holidays because there are no early morning responsibilities. It is normal to want to catch up with sleep. However, this extra sleeping time interferes with your sleep cycle eventually. It makes it hard to return to your regular sleep schedule.

Try as much as possible to go to bed at the same time, even when you are on vacation. It will make it easy to bounce back when you return to your regular work routine.

Late-Night Dining

Sometimes, a busy day may have you eating your dinner or snacking right before bedtime. You may also get cravings to snack in the middle of the night. However, food gets immediately digested once consumed. The process must be completed before your body starts its resting phase. Avoid eating meals right before sleeping. Eat well and hydrate during the day to ensure your body is full enough to make it through the night.

Absence of A Bedtime Routine

Many people just wing bedtime. If you are busy, you get home and hit the sack. Sometimes, you may stay up late chatting with friends or watching TV. But going straight to bed will eventually impact your sleep quality. Instead, create a bedtime routine to follow every night. 

Initiating your night routine every night will train your brain to associate the actions with sleep. Over time, your brain will use the routine as a sign to prepare for sleep. A night routine will also help you decompress after your day. 

Allowing your brain time to relax and process the day's events will help you lie down with a quiet mind. Taking a bath, calling a friend, journaling about the day’s events to help you process anything that may keep you up at night, and creating tomorrow's to-do list will also help you wind down before bed. 

Take Charge of Your Sleep

A comfortable bed is just as important as practicing good sleeping habits. Poor mattress quality will make establishing good sleep habits difficult and affect your sleep quality. In other words, you need a good mattress before you can even consider fixing your bad sleeping habits. 

If you know it's time to update your mattress and move on to restful pastures, consider Nest Bedding's selection of eco-friendly mattresses. Our mattresses come in a variety of sizes, thicknesses, and materials to ensure you find the right one for you. 

Don't believe us? Come see for yourself. Click here to learn more about our mattresses, take our mattress quiz, or purchase one for yourself.