Let’s face it – it is not uncommon for working individuals to suffer from a lack of quality sleep due to our hectic lifestyles. With numerous tasks to accomplish on our to-do list, from our daily work, taking care of the kids, to binging the hottest dramas, we constantly find ourselves pulling all-nighters or conforming to irregular sleeping hours to accomplish them all. In fact, this practice has become a norm in today’s fast-paced society.

However, not getting enough shut-eye can leave you feeling groggy and irritable the following morning. Concentrating and functioning throughout the day is also significantly more difficult, which can take a toll on your overall well-being. If left unremedied, you may even develop sleeping disorders or chronic health conditions in the long run.

Furthermore, inadequate sleep hygiene also interferes with your ability to achieve a good night’s rest. Various causes include eating right before bedtime or drinking coffee late in the day – common culprits behind poor sleep quality that are often overlooked. If you have experienced sleeping issues, let us share the four bad sleeping habits you should kick immediately to attain stellar sleep.

1. Eating right before bedtime

You may have heard advice warning you against eating at night as it is terrible for your digestion, sleep, and weight. While your body can process digestion and sleep simultaneously, hitting the sack right after a heavy meal is not ideal because of how your gastrointestinal tract is set up.

Between your stomach and oesophagus lies a muscular valve. Upon eating and lying horizontally with a full stomach, you lose the gravity that keeps your digestive juices down, causing the valve to remain open. The contents of your stomach then travel back to the oesophagus, leading to heartburn, which is the burning sensation you experience in your throat or chest that disturbs your sleep at night. Over an extended period, this issue may even lead to chronic acid reflux.

Additionally, the snacks and portion sizes that you consume matter. As your mind and body prepare for rest, your metabolism slows down. Thus, bigger meals take longer to digest. The slower your stomach breaks the food down, the more likely it is for you to suffer from indigestion. Because of its energy-boosting properties, indulging in titbits such as chocolate and sweets can also keep you up at night.

2. Sleeping at odd hours

Snoozing at irregular hours makes it extremely hard for you to establish a proper sleep routine. This is because your body has a natural circadian rhythm linked to the sun’s rising and setting. This cycle determines when you are most likely to feel awake and focused versus being fatigued.

When you start to sleep at odd hours, such as the wee hours of the morning, your body adapts accordingly. As such, your sleep cycle is reversed – moving about in the day causes you to feel tired, but your mind remains active and alert throughout the night. Hence, slumbering in opposition to your natural circadian rhythm can cause a hormonal imbalance in your system, making it difficult for you to drift off to sleep at regular sleeping hours.

Over time, sleeping at odd hours may lead to sleep deprivation and chronic insomnia. Therefore, it is recommended that you maintain a healthy and consistent sleep schedule. Ideally, you should aim to achieve at least seven hours of sleep each night and head to bed before midnight. This way, you will be able to get the restorative rest you need to stay productive the next day.

3. Using electronic devices before bed

As tempting as it is to use your electronic devices before bed, did you know that your smartphone is one of the reasons behind your interrupted sleep at night? Firstly, your brain is wired to react to your surroundings and constantly process new information. So when you are utilising your smartphone or tablet, it acts as a stimulant that keeps your mind alert as opposing to lulling you to sleep. This is because your brain is still continuously filtering critical knowledge that you see on the screen.

Additionally, melatonin (the sleep hormone that regulates sleep by influencing your body’s sleep-wake cycle) is affected by sunlight. To induce sleep, you require increased melatonin production, which relies on reduced exposure to light.

Yet, when you engage in your electronic devices before bed, the blue light from the screen mimics the effects of sunlight, thus inhibiting your melanin production and ability to sleep. Therefore, the longer you stay in bed staring at your electronic screens, the harder it is for you to fall asleep soundly.

Experts advise reducing your screen time to at least two to three hours before bedtime to prevent blue light sleep disruption. If you find it hard to resist the urge to pick up your phone, keep it out of arm’s reach or store it in a separate room.

4. Drinking coffee late at night

With various tasks to finish by the end of the day, you may find yourself reaching for a quick pick-me-up to stay focused as you continue to work at night. However, drinking coffee a few hours before bedtime can hinder you from achieving adequate rest.

For starters, coffee consists of caffeine, which stimulates the nervous system, causing wakefulness and increased brain activity. Studies have shown that the effects of coffee can be felt up to eight hours after consumption. While downing coffee late at night can be beneficial if you intend to pull an all-nighter, it is not viable for a healthy sleep routine.

If you notice that consuming coffee is disturbing you from sleeping soundly at night, it is best to avoid caffeinated beverages from the afternoon onwards. This way, you have ample time to metabolise any caffeine in the body and ensure it does not affect your sleep later.

Conclusion

Having a sufficient sleep allows your mind and body to recharge, leaving you refreshed and alert when you wake up. Conversely, inadequate rest can impact every aspect of your life, resulting in a poor ability to concentrate or commit information to memory. Therefore, if you have been experiencing poor sleep quality recently, it is vital for you to identify any bad sleeping habits and stomp them out immediately so that you can set yourself up for a productive day ahead!

However, poor sleeping habits are only one half of the equation. The quality of your mattress also plays an essential role in achieving a good night’s rest. So if you are still experiencing poor sleep quality after kicking your bad sleeping habits, you may want to consider investing in a premium latex mattress, as it does wonders in providing you with optimal body support throughout the night.

At Four Star, our DETENSE | Artic Silk® Advanze Aire Flex™ mattresses are designed with innovative Japanese technology to offer you a cosy night of sleep. They are packed with a cooling gel that regulates your overall temperature, promoting a refreshing sleeping surface. Plus, the beds are crafted with natural latex that supports the curvature of your spine and improves pressure distribution! Thus, any discomfort that you experience is alleviated, leading to deeper sleep.

Moreover, you can pair our mattresses with a customisable storage bed frame, which features a convenient German Hydraulic lift system that allows you to store your essentials easily. The bed frame can help eliminate clutter, thereby providing you with a clean and conducive environment for sleep.

If you are on the lookout for a new bed to improve your sleep quality, then head on over to our Four Star showrooms to experience our premium mattresses first-hand! With an extensive catalogue available, you are sure to find the ideal mattress that matches your every need.