There can be conflicting advice about the best way to sleep, but did you know that some suggestions can actually be harmful?
A new study has found that nearly half (45 per cent) of people are compromising their sleep quality by following sleep myths, with 52 per cent believing you can catch up on sleep, while over a third (39 per cent) think four hours sleep each night is enough. And more than a quarter (28 per cent) think an alcoholic tipple before bed helps you sleep better.
The new research, conducted by bed brand, Sealy UK, also revealed that more than a quarter (27 per cent) of people believe that eating cheese before bed is guaranteed to bring you nightmares, while other incorrect pieces of advice which were widely believed by participants to promote a good night’s sleep were exercising before bed (50 per cent), counting sheep (35 per cent) and watching TV before nodding off (35 per cent).
While some of the more popular pieces of ‘incorrect’ sleep wisdom are generally harmless, some could have a negative effect on your overall health if followed regularly, including the commonly held belief that you can catch up on sleep, despite bodies of research suggesting that lying in at the weekend to catch up on sleep missed during the week could increase your risk of heart disease, not to mention upsetting your sleep routine across subsequent nights.
