Sleep Myths Busted

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I find that nine times out of ten I wake up tired. Even after I’ve had, what should be, a full and restful night’s sleep. I slept for eight hours, turned my phone on silent, and made sure I was comfortable and undisturbed by anything.

Yet alas, here I am struggling to wake up and get going. Why am I having a hard time feeling rested even though I am following all the sleep rules set by sleep experts?

Well, little did I know these rules were meant to be broken because not all of the sleep rules apply to every single one of us. Read on for some insight into why you might be waking up more tired than when you went to bed last night.

You need eight hours of sleep a night

We’ve all heard how critical it is to allow ourselves at least eight hours of sleep a night. This allows for our body to enter full sleep mode and complete each cycle fully so we can wake up rested and ready for the day. However, there is an exception. Researchers say we definitely need sleep, but depending on the person that can be as little as five hours a night. Anywhere from five to eight hours is acceptable, and what the magic number is depends on the person.

You can never sleep too much

Well, you can. Turns out too much sleep can actually make you feel more tired as oppose to less sleep. Ever notice how great you function on seven hours of sleep, yet when you get in eight or nine hours of shut-eye you are struggling to get out of bed? That’s because you are oversleeping.

It’s okay, I’ll catch up on my sleep over the weekend

Nope. No you will not. You cannot make up for lost sleep or attempt to catch up on anything. In fact, oversleeping on your days off to compensate for the sleep missed during the week can throw off your sleep patterns and cause more fatigue. Our bodies do the best with a routine. That means going to bed and waking up at the same time. If you feel you need to get more sleep because you’ve had a few all nighters, try going to bed a few hours early each night until you feel rested.

Keeping the room dark, the temperature comfortable, and electronics off and away from the bed also help you get a restful night’s sleep. By creating a good environment and keeping to a nice routine you will be well on your way to getting wonderful sleep.