Myths about Sleep

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/09/1196978496/debunking-popular-myths-about-sleep To help educate the public about healthy sleep, Robbins and her colleagues identified popular myths about sleep and debunked them in a 2019 paper published in the journal Sleep Health. They looked at statements such as "many adults need only 5 or less hours of sleep" and "it does not matter what time of day you sleep." And they found that these claims had "a limited or questionable evidence base." Robbins walks through some of these myths with Life Kit and shares some much-needed tips on how to get better sleep. MYTH 1: It doesn't matter what time of day you sleep "Unfortunately, the time of day does matter," says Robbin. Our circadian rhythm — the internal circuitry that guides the secretion of the essential sleep hormone melatonin — is "significantly influenced by natural sunlight in our environment." When the sun comes up and we go outside, that sunshine "stops the floodgates of melatonin and switches the 'on' phase of our circadian rhythm," she says. "Conversely, going into a dark environment is what allows for the secretion of melatonin," she adds. MYTH 2: One night of sleep deprivation will have lasting effects If you had a bad night of sleep, don't stress — just get back to your normal sleep routine as soon as possible, says Robbins. But those effects likely resolve with recovery sleep. So if you have an off night, don't beat yourself up about it, says Robbins. Instead, try to get back on track with your normal sleep schedule as soon as possible. MYTH 3: Being able to fall asleep anytime, anywhere is a good thing Being able to fall asleep in random places, like your desk, isn't a good thing. It takes a well-rested, healthy person about 15 to 20 minutes to fall asleep, says Robbins. "It's a myth that a good sleeper would be able to hit the pillow and fall asleep right away," says Robbins. "This is because sleep is a process." It takes a well-rested, healthy person about 15 to 20 minutes or maybe a little bit longer to fall asleep, she adds. MYTH 4: You can survive on less than five hours of sleep Some people brag about needing only a few hours of sleep at night. That may come from the notion in our high-performing society that "well-rested people are lazy," says Robbins — "which is a myth." The reality is that adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep a night, she says. "That's where we see the most optimal health [outcomes]: improved heart health, longevity and brain health into our older years." Sleeping less than seven hours a night can result in weight gain, obesity, diabetes and hypertension, according to a statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. It's also associated with impaired immune function, impaired performance and increased errors — like "sending an email to the wrong person or entering incorrect numbers in a spreadsheet," says Robbins. So if you can, try to hit that goal of sleeping seven to nine hours as many nights of the week as possible, she adds. You'll know that you've hit your sweet spot when you "wake up feeling refreshed, have energy throughout the day and are not reaching for coffee or energy drinks in the afternoon." MYTH 5: Watching TV is a good way to relax before bedtime Watching a show on a device that emits heat, like a laptop positioned on your stomach, can deter your ability to fall asleep, says Robbins. MYTH 6: Exercising within four hours of bedtime will disturb your sleep What the research does show is that exercise and sleep appear "mutually beneficial," wrote Robbins and her colleagues in their paper. One analysis of several research papers found that people who consistently exercised saw "small to moderate improvements in sleep." "Exercise releases endorphins, which are mood elevators that can help with the No. 1 cause of sleep difficulties: stress," she says. For that reason, Robbins encourages people to exercise — even if it's close to bedtime. "If that's the only time you can get a workout in, go for it."