Sleep Could Be Ruined With These Habits

When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, a few musts come to mind: a quiet room, comfortable bed and plenty of time. But research actually shows that what we do during the day can have as much effect on sleeping as anything we do at night.

So if you’re having trouble drifting off even after revamping your night routine, see if these daytime mistakes are tripping you up:

1. You hit the snooze button.

Getting a good night’s sleep can hinge in part on the very first thing you do in the morning. That’s because when you hit that snooze button, you’re starting a new sleep cycle you won’t be able to finish in 10 minutes when the alarm goes off again, according to Robert S. Rosenberg, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Centers of Prescott Valley and Flagstaff, Arizona.

“You’re fragmenting what little extra sleep you’re getting so it is of poor quality,” he told CNN.

Not finishing a sleeping cycle your body has started can make you feel groggier during the day, which could also throw off your body’s internal clock and disrupt your sleep the next night too, Rosenberg explained.

2. You stayed out of the sun.

One of the best things you can do for sleep: get into the sunlight (or even inside light) first thing in the morning. Several studies have shown that exposure to light in the morning helps reset your circadian rhythm for the next 24 hours, telling you to feel awake in the morning and also to feel sleepy when it’s time to hit the pillow later on.

3. You spent too much time on your smartphone.

Many studies have suggested that too much screen time before rest could be dangerous for your Zs. The blue light devices give off messes with your body’s natural nightly production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.

But a new study found that spending too much time on your smartphone anytime throughout the day might also be detrimental to your shuteye. The study tracked the smartphone screen time use of 653 people, as well as their self-reported measures of sleep. Both duration and quality of sleep decreased as smartphone screen time use increased.

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