The 5 biggest sleep myths (& 5 science-backed habits to optimize your sleep)
Do you really need 8 hours sleep? Surely you can catch up on sleep over the weekend? Some of us are just bad sleepers. We debunk some of the most infamous sleep myths and share some science-backed tips to help you get the rest you need.
In a perfect world, crawling into bed at the end of a long day is filled with anticipation and ease. But for so many of us, those moments are filled with stress and anxiety instead. Whether you’re worried about falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting enough sleep, it can be hard to actually drift off into la-la-land when your mind is so busy.
Chances are that some of these worries come from your beliefs about sleep, based on things you’ve heard over time. But what if these things keeping you up at night aren’t even true? We’re going to bust the most common sleep myths, and offer some helpful new sleep habits to help you feel relaxed and ready for bed at the end of the day.
Most Common Sleep Myths
Myth #1: You should TRY to sleep
Reality: The paradox of sleep is that it comes when you’re *not* trying. When you are trying to sleep, you're constantly monitoring whether you’re sleeping or not, which keeps your mind active and your body awake. Instead of getting frustrated, focus on becoming less reactive and concentrate on relaxing instead. Meditation can turn down the volume on busy thoughts and worries, and induce a state of relaxation, which helps you slip into slumber.
💤 Busy mind? Try a guided meditation like Quieting the Mind and Body or Unwind into Sleep to help you drift off peacefully.
Myth #2: If you don’t sleep well, you won’t be able to function the next day
Reality: Many research studies on students, physicians, sailors, astronauts, and more have shown that if you get a minimum of five and a half hours of sleep, your daytime performance will not be significantly affected, even over many months of poor sleep. You might not feel your best after little sleep, but you can still function so don't let that worry keep you up at night.
💤 If you had a rough night’s sleep, try the Morning Moves or Morning Wake Up movement sessions to energize yourself for the day ahead.
Myth #3: Everyone needs 8 hours of sleep
Reality: The truth is that we all require different amounts of sleep. Most of us feel best with somewhere between 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Though some of us can get by with 3-4 hours while others require 10-12 hours of sleep. Find your sleep sweet spot by checking in with your energy levels each day — if you wake up tired or you need caffeine to feel alert, you’re likely not getting the sleep your body needs.
💤 No matter what time you head to bed, try a Sleep Story to help you ease into sleep.
Myth #4: Some people are just “bad” sleepers
Reality: While some of us may be blessed with stronger sleep systems, we all have the ability to sleep well — we simply need to learn how to let our body do what it’s naturally built for. This means committing to helpful habits both during the day and at night. These commitments take awareness and consistency but the rewards are worth it.
Related: What Your Chronotype Says About Your Sleep Patterns, Productivity & Personality
Myth #5: You can catch up on sleep
Reality: It’s tempting to assure yourself that sleeping in over the weekend can make up for all the sleep you lost during the working week, but it’s not a magic bullet. In fact, it can even make the situation worse. To maximize our circadian rhythm (which is key to sleep), the body requires a consistent sleep pattern. That means waking up and going to bed at the same time.
5 Science-Backed Habits To Optimize Your Sleep
Now you know the reality, it’s time to start building some of those habits that will support you in getting the deep, nourishing rest you need.
Here are five of our top tips:
Establish a nightly bedtime routine to help you wind down
Start your nighttime routine at least an hour before going to sleep. Your routine can include getting ready for bed (putting on pjs, brushing your teeth, etc.), meditating, reading, gentle stretching, or listening to calming music. After a few weeks your body will start to associate this routine with sleep and you may even begin falling asleep before you get into bed.
Get into bed only when you feel sleepy
If you’re not sleepy (even though you’ve finished your nighttime routine and it's your designated bedtime), avoid getting into bed! Sleepy means you’re nodding off or having a hard time staying awake, which is different than feeling tired.
Stay up and continue with some calming activities until you edge into a sleepy state. When you feel yourself drifting off, cozy back up in bed with a Sleep Story to help you fall asleep. You may get less sleep, but the quality of the sleep you do get will be much better. And remember, you can still function just fine on less sleep (see Myth # 2).
Use your bed for sleep and intimacy only
This one can be hard in the age of working from home, but try not to use your bed for anything other than sleep and intimacy. That means no work, eating, reading, watching tv, scrolling on the internet, talking on the phone. These activities can trigger emotions, stress, or alertness which you don’t want associated with your bedroom. Using your bed only for sleep (or forms of intimacy that relax you into sleep) will strengthen the mental association between your bedroom and sleep.
Get out of bed if you can’t sleep and do something relaxing
If you don’t fall asleep after about 20 or 30 minutes, move to another room. Getting out of bed disrupts the association of awakeness with your bed. And remember, you can’t *try* to get to sleep (see myth #1), you’ll only find yourself getting more frustrated and more awake.
Once you're out of bed, do something relaxing. Listen to calming music, read a book (thrillers need not apply!), try a relaxing meditation, and stay away from your phone or computer. Just be sure to move back into bed once you find yourself drifting off!
Bonus: try to think of this time out of bed as extra free time. A space with no distractions to have some personal chill time–which is nourishing in its own way. This can alleviate any worries of not sleeping, which will help you fall asleep!
Establish a regular wake-up time (yes, even on weekends)
Having a regular wake-up time helps to ensure better quality and consistent sleep. Set an alarm to wake you up at the same time each day, even on weekends, and then get up. Don’t hit the snooze button, even if you slept poorly or didn’t get as much sleep as you’d like. This may seem frustrating in the moment but it’s helping your body establish a regular automatic sleep-wake cycle, which leads to more nourishing sleep over time. After a few weeks, you’ll notice that you start waking up at or around this time without your alarm.
💤 Want to learn more? Listen to our Sleep Better Masterclass and 7 Days of Sleep Series for practical tools that’ll help optimize your sleep.
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