7 Things To Stop Doing Before Heading To Bed

7 Things To Stop Doing Before Heading To Bed
Sleep is very important as it gives your body time to relax and  perform various restorative functions across various organs. A good night’s sleep is therefore essential to ensure fitness and health.
However, whether you get a lot of shuteye is dependent on your actions throughout the and most importantly, right before bed.

Unknown to you, some of your actions before bed are having tremendous impact on the amount of sleep you get and your life in general.
We explore various habits you should dump for the sake of a good night’s rest and your health.
Using your devices

A man using his phone in bed

Using your electronic devices right before or in bed can have adverse consequences on your sleep. Whether its your  phone, laptop or television the blue light they give off hinder the production of melatonin which  aids sleep.
If you absolutely have to use your device before bed, reduce the brightness of  your device and keep it at least fourteen inches away from your face.
Eating a heavy dinner 
Eating a heavy dinner right before bed can negatively impact on your sleep. Your dinner should be something light and incredibly easy to digest.
If you eat something heavy for dinner , the process of digestion will  take a while and this might prevent you from sleeping early.  If you cannot resist a delicacy that is heavy for dinner, make sure you eat it as early as possible so it does not prevent you from getting your beauty sleep.
Drinking Coffee 
Drinking coffee right before bed can negatively impact on your ability to get a good night’s sleep. Coffee  contains caffeine as an essential ingredient and  it  helps to  keep you alert and active.
When you want to sleep at night, staying alert is the last thing on your mind.  The presence of coffee in your system inhibits your ability to sleep caffeine can stay in the body’s system for periods up till eight hours after consumption .
Trying to get a head start on work
Checking up on your work email right before you go to bed is not such a good idea if you plan on sleeping peacefully. Most times, your mind goes into overdrive trying to plan the next day and thinking of solutions to problems you have not even encountered.
All that worrying and thinking will mean that your sleep is fitful and you would wake up stressed and tired.
Smoking

A man smoking before bedtime

Tobacco products and cigarettes contain nicotine which is a potent stimulant that serves to repress sleep. Smoking is a bad habit with a lot of harmful consequences but smoking before bed tricks the mind into staying active even when your body needs to rest.
Drinking too much water
Water aids digestion and helps your body to carry out essential functions effectively. Drinking a lot of  water right before bed can however disrupt your sleeping pattern and leave you running towards the restroom at intervals.
To stay hydrated, it is important that you drink a lot of water throughout the day and not try to make up for it by drinking a lot after dinner
Alcohol
Most people drink alcohol before bedtime because it makes you feel sleepy and induces drowsiness.  The effects of the alcohol consumed are however less friendlier when it hits the bloodstream.
Alcohol reduces the period  for restorative functions within the body and prevents your body from fully recovering from the rigors of the day. Whatever benefits you think you might gain by drinking alcohol before sleep are often forgotten when you wake up tired and with a clouded mind.