5 things you think are helping you sleep — but actually aren’t

There’s nothing quite like a good night’s sleep. You know the feeling of resting your weary head on your soft pillow and snuggling up under the blankets after a long day at the office. As you close your eyes and begin to drift off into dreamland, your mind won’t stop racing. Your peaceful impending slumber has been interrupted by what could be a number of things.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults, ages 24 to 64, get between seven to nine hours of rest each night. For some of us, that’s easier said than done. Before you throw in the towel and give up on your midnight dreams, take a look at your pre-bedtime habits. Could your nighttime rituals be hurting your slumber more than helping? You may be sabotaging your slumber without realizing it.

Here are five things you think are helping you get a good night's sleep but could actually be hurting it in the long run.

Late night texting convos could be keeping you up.

At the end of a long day, it can feel good to decompress. If you get home late and need a mental dump, it’s natural to pick up the phone and start texting with a friend. While you may think it’s good to pick up the phone before bed, the experts caution against doing so because it can interrupt your sleeping patterns.

The blue light that is emitted by mobile devices, laptops, and tablets can restrict the amount of melatonin your body produces, according to research from Harvard University. Melatonin is a chemical in your body that is responsible for regulating your sleeping patterns. It tells your body when to wake up and when to go to bed. When the blue light from cell phones interferes with this chemical, it can cause problems in the sheets and a study found that you may have a more difficult time falling asleep because of it.

Go ahead and phone a friend to them in about your day, just do it before you hit the hay. Experts recommend putting your phone up at least an hour ahead of your regularly scheduled bedtime.  

Bingeing your favorite show could be messing with your sleep cycle.

There’s a lot of TV out there to watch and not enough time to watch it all. If you’re binging on the latest episodes of "Queer Eye"or trying to immerse yourself in all of "The Bachelorette"news, you’re probably doing so at night. Between a busy work day and afternoon plans on the weekend, it’s not always easy to find free time to catch up on your favorite shows. Whether you realize it or not, TV may be interrupting your sleep cycle.

Some people find it soothing to fall asleep with the TV on. If you fall into that category and are still able to sleep soundly with the tube on, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you are having trouble closing your eyes at your usual bedtime, too much TV before bed could be to blame.

Working out might boost your adrenaline too much before bed.

There’s no question that exercising and a good night’s sleep are related. In fact, studies have found that working out can actually help you sleep better. So, what’s the big deal? The key to a successful and sound night’s sleep may hinge on when you decide to hit the gym. If you workout in the morning or throughout the day, you are in the clear. Your body and mind will both have time to relax and chill out prior to bedtime. When you vigorously workout late at night, your brain may have trouble coming back down and that can cause sleep problems.

"Their adrenaline is high, their brain is active, and it's difficult to wind down," Stuart Quan, MD, the Gerald E. McGinnis professor of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School and editor-in-chief of UnderstandingSleep.org, told WebMD.

For a better night’s sleep, studies recommend avoiding intense workouts at least three hours before bed. This one will impact everyone differently. If you workout before bed and notice that you are having trouble falling asleep, try shifting your exercise routine to earlier in the day and see if that makes a difference.