I’m a doctor – these are the five habits you didn’t know were ruining your sleep

If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, then maybe it’s time to put some troublesome sleep practices behind you.

A doctor has revealed everyday habits that can disrupt your sleep, and it’s bad news if you like to relax with a glass of wine.

Dr. Karan Raj, an NHS surgeon and lecturer at Sunderland University, shared his tips with his 5.1 million TikTok followers, and many users were amazed at how much they’d succumbed.

So, for anyone in need of a good night’s sleep, here are the five things he claims you shouldn’t do before bed, according to an expert.

Eat a meal within 2 hours of bedtime

It’s bad news for those who prefer a midnight snack, as the expert advised waiting at least two hours to sleep after a big meal.

Dr. Raj explained to his followers: “It takes 90 minutes for 50 percent of your stomach to empty into the small intestine.

“So the fuller your stomach is, the more likely you are to have acid reflux, which can obviously wreak havoc on your sleep.”

“Ideally, wait two to three hours after your big meal before going to bed.”

One user jumped up to defend his habit in the comments, saying, “I can’t sleep on an empty stomach, hunger keeps me awake!” I have to eat something before bed every night.’

A doctor suggested waiting two to three hours after a big meal to go to sleep, so for anyone prone to a midnight snack it might be time to kick the habit

Drink water before going to sleep

Drinking water before bed can be an obvious habit for weaning because it can increase the amount of time it takes you to urinate at night.

Dr. Raj explained to his followers, “When you sleep, your body increases the production of the hormone ADH so that it retains water and suppresses your need to urinate.

“Drinking a lot of water before bed can suppress ADH production, making you urinate more and wake up more and spoil your night’s sleep.”

One user defended their habit, noting, “I can’t help it – I’ve convinced myself it helps me feel less dehydrated when I wake up.”

Instead of chugging water at night, drinking water in the morning is a more beneficial way to rehydrate.

Doctors recommend not drinking water before going to sleep as it can increase the amount of time it takes you to urinate at night

Sleep in a warm room

Attempting to fall asleep during the summer can be an impossible task. While the long days are welcome, the nights can be excruciating and sweaty.

And the hot temperatures can even disrupt your sleep balance.

Dr. Raj explained, “Our peak body temperature is around 7pm.

‘After this, the body temperature drops and we feel more sleepy and there is an increased production of melatonin.’

He added, “Our bodies need to get cooler in order to fall asleep faster.”

Dark, quiet, cool and comfortable bedrooms are therefore synonymous with a good night’s sleep.

Doctors say sleeping in a hot room can disrupt your sleep patterns, suggesting your body needs to cool down to help you sleep faster

Have a nightcap

Many people use alcohol as a sleep aid because it can be a powerful somnogen (sleep-inducing agent), but alcohol is also known to disrupt sleep patterns.

Dr. Raj explains that alcohol confuses your REM sleep patterns, the stages of sleep that each have a specific function.

The NHS doctor showed his TikTok followers a chart that tracked alcohol-related sleep.

He explained that drinking alcohol before bed can increase the suppression of REM sleep during the first two sleep cycles because alcohol is a sedative and can quickly induce deep sleep.

As the night progresses, this can cause an imbalance between slow-wave sleep and REM sleep, which can result in shorter sleep duration and more sleep disturbances. If you’re wondering how to get more REM sleep, there are several strategies and lifestyle adjustments that may help improve the quality and duration of your REM sleep.

So since alcohol can decrease REM sleep, people who drink frequently before bed often experience insomnia symptoms and feel overly sleepy.

To get a good night’s sleep, Dr. Raj told his followers to “stop” consuming alcoholic beverages before bed.

Although alcohol is often used as a sleep aid, the belief that it helps you sleep better is a myth and doctors say you should avoid nightcaps completely

Consuming caffeine

Most people welcome caffeine intake as a helpful stimulant to help you feel more awake.

But while it can kickstart your morning, a cup of coffee in the afternoon or evening can disrupt your sleep balance.

For anyone struggling to get a good night’s sleep, it may be time to forego the afternoon coffee as it can disrupt your sleep patterns as the stimulant leaves the body

The maximum caffeine effect is experienced an hour after drinking, after which it peaks in our blood. After this, depending on a person’s metabolism, it can take up to eight hours to leave the body.

For those looking to get their sleep back on track, avoid consuming caffeine in the afternoon, Dr. Raj says.

The older we are, the longer it takes for caffeine to leave our body due to declining metabolism.

Dr. Explaining the science behind the stimulant, Raj said, ‘Adenosine is the molecule that makes you sleepy and it binds to the adenosine receptor.

‘Caffeine can also fit into the adenosine receptor and block the binding of adenosine to it.

“Caffeine doesn’t make you more alert, it just makes you less sleepy because it prevents the buildup of the sleep molecule.”

So for anyone struggling to get a good night’s sleep, it might be time to ditch the afternoon coffee.