10 Unhealthy Habits Ruining Your Sleep—and How to Get More Rest Again

Andrea Lopez-Yianilos
Apr 28
6 min read

Original Article: https://www.realsimple.com/unhealthy-habits-ruining-sleep-8681947

Updated on August 23, 2024

A good night's sleep is the absolute best form of self-care. But several common nighttime behaviors may be wrecking your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and consistently get quality rest.

Each habit impacts people differently, and some might unexpectedly help you stay asleep. (If you swear scrolling your phone helps you sleep better, don't stress over it.) However, if you’re struggling with a bout of poor sleep, start by eliminating every sleep habit on this list that applies, then add them back one-by-one to find the culprit. We spoke with sleep experts about the worst sleeping habits and how to get back on track.

Olivia Arezzolo is a world-leading sleep expert and author of Bear, Lion or Wolf; How Understanding Your Sleep-Type Could Change Your Life.
Nicole Shallow, M.Ed, BCBA, is a board-certified behavior analyst and sleep specialist.
Andrea López-Yianilos, PsyD, is a New York City-based licensed psychologist specializing in sleep.
Teresa Power, BS CCSH, is a clinical sleep coach and speaker.

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Phone Usage

Several experts agree that it’s a good idea to limit your phone use before bed. “Most people are on their phones or watching late at night, which suppresses melatonin,” sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo explains. This can make it hard for people to fall and stay asleep.1

Andrea López-Yianilos, PsyD, says to power down all devices and do something else at least an hour before bed. If you have to be on your phone, you could try blue light blocking glasses or the "Night Shift" (on iPhone), which warms the colors on the display. These steps could reduce the impact of blue light, although studies are inconclusive.1

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Eating or Drinking

Eating or drinking within three hours before bed can make for a restless night. And there’s one beverage (the nightcap) that seems like it helps when it actually doesn’t.

That glass of wine might make you feel drowsy, but if you drink it right before bed, it could mess with your sleep quality by disrupting REM sleep.2 "When alcohol metabolizes, you get dehydrated," López-Yianilos explains, "So you'll have more fitful sleep."

When it comes to eating, moderation is key. Too much or too little food before bed could impact your sleep quality. Try to schedule meals at least three hours before bedtime, and if you get hungry late at night, stick to a small yet filling snack, like nut butter on crackers, López-Yianilos suggests.

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Exercising

Avoid working out too close to bedtime because exercise raises your body temperature, López-Yianilos explains, and your body temperature should naturally dip as you get ready to sleep.

However, this doesn’t mean never exercising. Just 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity during the day can help you sleep better.3

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Not Winding Down

This bad sleep habit is more about not having a habit at all. We should all set aside some time before bed to wind down. “If you are working, scrolling, cleaning, and planning until the second you get into bed, you can expect to have a hard time falling asleep,” says sleep coach Teresa Power.

“Like children, adults need both time and routine to prepare for rejuvenating, healthy sleep. Keep in mind, you don't need a 10-step, two-hour bedtime routine, but you do need to give your mind and body time to wind down and relax before sleep.”

Power recommends setting an alarm at least an hour before you plan to be in bed to finish up the show you're watching, make sure the lights are dim, put your phone aside, start washing up, and do whatever you have time to do to relax yourself.

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Overthinking

Overthinking (or ruminating) can be a bad habit that is hard to break, but there are several ways to get this under control. For starters, return to your breath. “Breathwork helps distract from your racing thoughts and calm your nervous system to relax your back to sleep,” says Power.

“Nasal breathing specifically increases production and release of nitric oxide, which helps blood, nutrients, and oxygen travel throughout your body. My favorite breathwork exercises are very simple; try box breathing or the 4-7-8 method.”

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Staying in Bed

One bad sleep habit people make when they can't fall asleep is staying in bed too long. Here’s what you should do instead, according to Arezzolo:

If you are awake longer than 20 minutes, get out of bed.
Go into the lounge and put on blue light blocking glasses if you have them. If not, just keep lights down low and avoid devices like the TV or phones.
Read, meditate or listen to calming music.
Only return to bed when you are just about to fall asleep.

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Ambient Light

Some people have sheer curtains and have no trouble falling or staying asleep. But if you're struggling with poor sleep quality, consider the ambient lighting in your sleep environment, which can cause all sorts of sleep disturbances.4 These sources can revolve around other nighttime habits, like playing video games without fully unplugging the console afterward.

If you live in a city with streetlights or have electronics in your room, light pollution and ambient light exposure might be what is hindering your sleep. To fully darken a room, unplug TVs or devices with lighted panels and install some blackout curtains or blackout roller shades. If there are some lights you can't turn off or block, try a comfortable sleep mask.

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Inconsistent Sleep Duration

“One mistake I see is inconsistent sleep durations,” explains sleep specialist Nicole Shallow, M.Ed, BCBA. According to Shallow, you might try sleeping longer some nights to “catch up,” but when you do this, you may see a dip in total sleep, causing night wakings or early wakings.

Even if you have sleep debt, “the goal is to have [your] average sleep be more consistent every day, with consistent wake-up times, give or take an hour,” says Shallow.

If you are struggling with inconsistent sleep, commit to the same wake-up time all seven days of the week—yes, even over the weekend! "Your bedtime will shift to where it needs to be," López-Yianilos says.

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Sleep Dependency

Sometimes, we don’t even realize that we depend on something to get to bed. “A common thing I see and experience myself is sleep dependency challenges,” says Shallow. When you always have something, and suddenly it’s not there, it may hinder your sleep quality.

To address this, Shallow says to notice if anything has changed in the environment from when you fell asleep. “For example, if you fell asleep with a show on, notice if turning that same show on helps you fall back to sleep. In the short term, turning it on could be helpful until you develop a new routine and healthy sleep dependencies.”

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Sleeping Too Much or Too Little

For Arezzolo, who helps people find their sleep type, another major problem is being uncertain of how many hours of sleep you need. "Some people need 9, others only 7, others 8. The hours are largely dictated by your sleep type (chronotype), which is why it’s so important to know."

Sleeping outside your optimal range can set you up for lower sleep quality and worse brain function. In fact, getting 16 minutes less sleep than you need could result in cognitive interference—or more distractions—the next day.5

For reference, Arezzolo says in her book Bear, Lion or Wolf that bears need 9 hours, lions need 7 hours, and wolves need 8 hours. These sleep types also describe when you have the most energy and what times you naturally go to sleep and wake up.

Bears have a standard schedule. They are most productive midday, slump in the early afternoon, and like to wind down in the evening.
Lions are early birds, and they have the most energy in the morning, so they like to go to bed early.
Wolves are the typical night owl, liking to stay up late and sleep in late. They are the most productive in the evening.

Sticking to a routine that caters to your natural cycles can help you improve how long and when you sleep.