A team of health-science researchers at NYU say widely held myths about sleep are damaging our health and mood, and they want to dispel them. The study, published in the journal Sleep Health, looks at the most common myths.
Myth 1 – You can cope on less than five hours’ sleep. “We have extensive evidence to show sleeping five hours or less consistently, increases your risk greatly for adverse health consequences,” said researcher Dr. Rebecca Robbins.
Myth 2 – Alcohol before bed boosts your sleep. “It may help you fall asleep, but …it particularly disrupts your REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, which is important for memory and learning.
Myth 3 – Watching TV in bed helps you relax. TV, smartphones and tablets all produce blue light, which can delay the body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
Myth 4 – If you’re struggling to sleep, stay in bed. “It does take the healthy sleeper about 15 minutes to fall asleep, but much longer than that… get out of bed, change the environment and do something that’s mindless,” says Robbins.
Myth 5 – Hitting the snooze button. Just get up already.
Myth 6 – Snoring is always harmless. Snoring can be a sign of the disorder sleep apnoea. People with the condition are more likely to develop high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat and have a heart attack or a stroke.
Myth 1 – You can cope on less than five hours’ sleep. “We have extensive evidence to show sleeping five hours or less consistently, increases your risk greatly for adverse health consequences,” said researcher Dr. Rebecca Robbins.
Myth 2 – Alcohol before bed boosts your sleep. “It may help you fall asleep, but …it particularly disrupts your REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, which is important for memory and learning.
Myth 3 – Watching TV in bed helps you relax. TV, smartphones and tablets all produce blue light, which can delay the body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
Myth 4 – If you’re struggling to sleep, stay in bed. “It does take the healthy sleeper about 15 minutes to fall asleep, but much longer than that… get out of bed, change the environment and do something that’s mindless,” says Robbins.
Myth 5 – Hitting the snooze button. Just get up already.
Myth 6 – Snoring is always harmless. Snoring can be a sign of the disorder sleep apnoea. People with the condition are more likely to develop high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat and have a heart attack or a stroke.
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