A good nighttime routine is important for helping you to fall asleep quickly and easily, and to sleep through the night. Healthy habits, such as swapping your phone for a book or deep breathing in bed, will increase your chances of sleeping through the night.
However there's one healthy habit that, while brilliant for improving your sleep overall, should only be done early in the day. We recently spoke to sleep coach Monica Le Baron to learn more about this common nighttime mistake and what she recommends doing instead.
The healthy habit to avoid right before bed
Getting enough exercise is paramount to our physical and mental health and it's important for our sleep. In fact, studies have shown that exercising in the morning can improve sleep quality at night.
However, while a challenging, heart-pounding workout can boost your fitness and help you sleep, you should avoid any form of vigorous exercise too close to bedtime. "Vigorous workouts raise your core body temperature, disrupting your body’s natural cooling process for sleep," certified yoga therapist and sleep coach Le Baron explained.
"Opt for lighter activities like a short walk or gentle yoga to prepare your body for rest. "
However, if you prefer an intense workout over low-impact exercises, save it for earlier in the day or ideally morning. Only have time to exercise in the evening? Either drop it for yoga or walking as Le Baron suggests, or do your intense workout several hours before bed.
Dr Randall Turner, certified physician at Able to Change Recovery , recently told us in our guide on how to exercise for better sleep that you should exercise no later than three to fours before bed. "This gives your body time to recover, allowing your heart rate and core temperature to return to baseline," he told us.
Other healthy habits to avoid right before bed
1. Drinking green tea
Green tea has a lot of health benefits, but that doesn't mean it makes a good bedtime beverage. We spoke to Lena Bakovic, a registered dietician at Top Nutrition Coaching, who warned us that it's best to leave this antioxidant-packed tea for the morning.
"Green tea has a higher caffeine content compared to herbal teas varieties, which typically contain zero caffeine," the registered dietician told us. "The oxidation process of the green tea leaves makes them darker and increases their caffeine content. If an individual is particularly sensitive to caffeine, they may not want to consume this type of tea close to their usual bedtime."
If you're looking for the best teas to drink for better sleep, go for caffeine-free herbal teas such as chamomile and peppermint.
2. Eating too much fruit
There are plenty of vitamin-packed treats that are nutritious, but not exactly sleep-inducing when eaten close to bed. For example, citrus fruits such as oranges may be packed with vitamin c, but studies show they are more likely to produce acid in your stomach and worsen reflux symptoms, which could lead to nocturnal disturbances.
3. Drinking lots of water
You know the drill, drink eight glasses of water a day... but while staying hydrated throughout the day will improve your health and help you sleep, you should aim to stop drinking at a certain point to avoid nocturia.
So, when should you stop drinking before bed? We recomend following the 10-3-2-1-0 method, which states that you should stop drinking no later than three hours before bed.
