An expert lists five bedtime mistakes that are ruining your sleep

Some of them may surprise you

The positive effects of good sleep extend to every aspect of our lives. We feel energized, focused, ready to take on the day. The long-term effects of poor sleep are less well-known. But they have a huge impact on our health and even how long we live.

Alzheimer’s, obesity, cancer, and diabetes are all linked to poor sleep. What are the latest scientific findings on how we can improve our sleep and, in turn, our overall health?

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Speaking on the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast, Prof. Matthew Walker, a Liverpool-born professor of neurobiology and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, shared some tips on how to get deep, undisturbed sleep.

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1. Alcohol

A common misconception is that alcohol helps us fall into a deep sleep. However, Prof Walker warned that alcohol is “not just a sleep aid”. While alcohol is described as a sedative, sedation is not sleep.

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Prof Walker said: “A bedtime capsule doesn’t make you fall asleep faster, it makes you pass out faster. Alcohol disrupts your sleep. You wake up many times during the night, but the problem is you don’t remember when you woke up. The next morning you feel rested but you don’t remember when you woke up, so you don’t connect the dots.”

2. Bright lights

Lighting plays a huge role in how quickly we fall asleep. Sitting in a brightly lit room before bed disrupts the production of melatonin, which our brains produce as it gets darker to prepare us for sleep.

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Prof Walker said: “In our modern era, we are a dark society and we need darkness at night to trigger the secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin. As a guide, try this experiment: set an alarm on your phone in the last hour before (bedtime).

Dim half the lights in your entire house in that final hour, and you’ll be surprised how sleepy you’ll feel in that increased darkness. That means you’re usually suppressing the “sleepiness” hormone, melatonin.

3. Caffeine

Many of the health benefits of coffee have been established in recent years. The antioxidant properties of coffee beans can improve gut health, while caffeine improves concentration and may even help break down fat better.

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However, drinking coffee before bed can cause disrupted and fragmented sleep and even age you by a decade. Prof Walker said: “Drink coffee because the health benefits associated with coffee are profound and very reliable. But when it comes to sleep, the dose and timing make the poison.

“Try to limit yourself to two cups of coffee, maybe three. The most important thing is to stop drinking at least 12 hours before you plan to go to bed. Caffeine can reduce the amount of deep sleep by 12 to 15 percent,” depending on the caffeine dose. A 15 percent reduction in deep sleep would age you about 10 to 12 years.”

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4. Screens

For many of us, scrolling through our phones before going to bed is a common practice. But Prof. Walker says there’s nothing worse we could do for our sleep.

He said: “Our screens are enhanced with blue-spectrum LED light, which is the worst for melatonin levels and the most potent suppressor. These devices are designed to grab your attention, keep you alert and keep you awake, sustained and engaged.”

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To avoid the temptation to use your phone before bed, Walker suggests keeping phones out of the bedroom. “If you absolutely have to take your phone into the bedroom, only use it standing up. You might think, ‘I’m going to sit up in bed after five or six minutes. No; at that point, you’re done, put your phone away.’”

5. Temperatureclean

While we tend to associate warmth with comfort and sleepiness, Prof. Walker recommends keeping your bedroom cool at night to help you achieve optimal sleep. The ideal temperature, according to Walker, is around 18 to 18.5 degrees Celsius.

He said, “I know it sounds cold, but it has to be cold. You can keep your feet warm – hot water bottles, socks – but the surroundings have to be cold.” He recommends making your room a cave – dark and cool – to get the best sleep at night.

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