Effects of Nighttime Habits

Exercise

Exercise helps your body and sleep in general. But when you exercise, your body secretes hormones like cortisol which help you getting alert. So if you have to exercise in the evening, do it 2-3 times before your bedtime

Late-Night Meal

Avoid dining within 2 hours of your bed time. Eat several hours before sleep and make it less fatty, and salty.

Teeth Care

If you ignored your teeth brushing and flossing, you will notice a thick coat on your teeth in the morning. In a few days this can harden into a cement-like “tarter” that can be removed only by the dentist and will lead to cavities.

Remaining Late Into Night

This can deplete your energy, increase your craving for high-calorie foods, make body secrete more cortisol, and let you gain more weight and accumulate more fat. So try to have 7-8 hours sleep during night.

Alcohol

Alcohol may make you sleep at the beginning, but later it has an opposite effect. It also affects your quality of sleep. It increases urine production and may wake you up several times to go to pee. All this can cause you drowsiness the next day. so try not to drink in the 3 hours before your bedtime.

Caffeine

Caffeine can affect ability to sleep, and the quality of sleep. Its effect is stronger as you age. You better cut down on caffeine and avoid taking it 8 hours or more before bedtime.

Face washing

Simple face washing reduces pimples and prevents eye infection.

Taking a nap

A nap of any length in the afternoon or in the evening can disturb the sleep wake cycle and causes difficulty falling asleep.

Busy Mind

You can not relax if your mind is preoccupied with a lot of things to do. Try to organize them in something like a to-do list or a mini-plan for the next day. This can reduce your stress and make the next day easier to manage.

After Dark Digitalizing

Exposure to much light after the sunset keeps your melatonin low and disturbs your bio-clock, particularly exposure to blue light emitted by mobiles and laptops. If your device has a nightshift setting, then activate it, otherwise reduce the amount of time on electronics, and put them away 2 hours before bedtime at least

Set a Sleep Routine

Establish a routine or a ritual before sleep, this will ease the path for good and fast sleep. This can be reading a book or listening to calming music. Avoid hard discussions in the evening because they can trigger arousal hormones.

Leave a comment