There are several myths about sleep, observed across the world that inadvertently keep you awake, which is why it is crucial to address these misconceptions. We spoke to sleep experts at the recent Edge of Nutrition Summit 2023 hosted by Happiest Health to debunk the myths and state facts about sleep.
Eight myths and facts about sleep
1. Myth: Hitting the snooze button helps you get more sleep
Fact: It won’t help
It is important to stick to the set alarm and wake up at that time as hitting snooze button won’t help in getting more sleep, said Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, Head of the department & Consultant – Pulmonology, Sleep Medicine, Lung Transplant Physician, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru.
“We have sleep restriction therapy where we tend to advise people with sleep related issues to restrict unnecessary sleep. If someone has set the alarm for a particular time, they need to stick to that timing and wake up without hitting the snooze button,” said Dr Satyanarayana.
2. Myth: Don’t drink milk before going to sleep
Fact: Drinking warm milk before bed helps to sleep better
While many practice drinking milk before going to bed, some advice not to. However, doctors stating facts about sleep, suggest that drinking warm milk before bed helps to get better sleep.
Milk contains a substance called tryptophan, a compound which can make a person fall asleep, said Dr Padegal. “Not everybody gets sleepy with it, but a large amount of people will get sleepy. Tryptophan increases melatonin, a hormone that regulates the circadian rhythm in the body and is responsible for sleep,” he said, adding that a warm glass of milk is something that even he recommends people to drink before going to bed.
3. Myth: It’s best to stay in bed with eyes closed when you can’t sleep
Fact: Keeping just eyes closed will not help with sleep
Not being able to sleep and keeping your eyes closed isn’t going to help you fall asleep. “If you are trying very hard to sleep for more than 20 to 30 minutes and still not being able to sleep, you need to get up from the bed and try to relax,” said Dr Satyanarayana.
One can try listening to music, try to focus and avoid any bright light especially mobile or any other gadget usage, he said. “Reading something engaging in low light can be helpful. After these activities, they can then try to go to the bed once they feel sleepy,” he said.
4. Myth: Midnight snacks are okay
Fact: Midnight snacking is not okay
Getting up in the night and wanting to eat is not a good sign, says Dr Padegal. “In general, having a snack in the middle of the night, may be a sign of disease. It could be a sign of diabetes or an eating disorder,” he said.
Generally, one should be satisfied with whatever they have after 10 pm and should not be getting up in the middle of the night to eat again, he said. “This not only signifies a disease, it is also very unhealthy and disrupts sleep patterns and causes obesity. If it’s a regular thing, it needs to be looked into,” Dr Padegal cautioned.
5. Myth: Sleeping with a light on is harmless
Fact: Sleeping with a light can be disturbing
A dark room with no light is best for sleeping, experts say. “Ambient light has to be at the bare minimum or absolutely no light in the room. Light tends to stimulate the waking up centres of the body, therefore it’s a myth to sleep with lights on. Some people may be habituated and may feel insecure without the lights on, but otherwise medical advice would be minimal light during sleep,” said Dr Satyanarayana.
6. Myth: Eat a full meal before going to bed
Fact: Eat less before going to bed
There’s a saying which says eat breakfast like King and eat dinner like a pauper, says Dr Padegal. “This has a lot of sense in sleep as any oily, greasy meal or even if it’s a healthy full meal that one eats towards the end of the day, causes gastric and bloating of the stomach which is not good for sleep,” he said.
The fact about sleep is that having a lighter meal in the night and giving a good interval between the meal and sleep time is a healthy practice, said Dr Padegal. “Having a big meal which we do a lot in India, and going to bed immediately at night is not a healthy practice,” he said.
7. Myth: A warm bedroom temperature is best for sleeping
Fact: A warm bedroom temperature does not help you to fall asleep
Ideally, the room temperature should be slightly colder than the ambient temperature outside for anyone to be able to fall asleep, said Dr Satyanarayana. “The temperature has to be 1 to 2 degrees less than the ambient temperature outside. This will help them sleep better. It is a proven concept and is a part of sleep hygiene,” he said.
8. Myth: Alcohol before bed improves sleep
Fact: Alcohol before bed disturbs sleep
Alcohol initially acts as a sedative and people feel sleepy after consuming it and once, they go to bed, alcohol starts to stimulate, and people don’t sleep very well, says Dr Vivek Padegal, Senior Consultant and Director of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Fortis hospital, Bengaluru.
“Initially, they will fall asleep, but they won’t get a good sleep. Whenever someone goes to bed after having more than just a few drinks, they never wake up refreshed. The reason is alcohol starts as a sedative and ends up as a stimulant. If you’re having difficulty with sleep, you need to avoid alcohol,” said Padegal.
