6 Myths About Sleep, Busted

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Editor, EatingWell Magazine

I'm lucky that I don't (usually) have trouble falling -- or staying -- asleep. But there are definitely nights, sometimes even stretches of nights, where I don't get enough sleep -- and I'm not alone: an estimated 50-70 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control, don't get enough sleep. (Get three simple tips to help you beat insomnia here.)

It's then that I want to make every last minute of shut-eye count. And that means knowing what can actually help me sleep and what hinders sleep. Here are six sleep myths to ignore, as reported in EatingWell Magazine.

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Brierley's interest in nutrition and food come together in her position as an associate editor at EatingWell. Brierley holds a master's degree in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. A Registered Dietitian, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont.

 

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Comments

[M4dwoman]

09:29 PM on 12/08/2011

I find that the begats section of the book of genesis is a great sleep inducer.
Just make sure the bible is a small version, because a heavier one might cause suffocation.

[Sinestro Jones]

07:10 PM on 12/08/2011

Listen to the lectures of this one professor I had...his stuff was so boring, insomniacs would lapse into immediate REM sleep...and the dead would suddenly awaken.

[jimstoic]

03:22 PM on 12/06/2011

There is no myth that "Falling Asleep To The TV Is OK." We've been told for a generation that we shouldn't even have a TV in the bedroom. We do have a TV in the bedroom, but we found ways to turn off all of the LEDs and other lights associated with that.

[Information Pioneer]

12:56 PM on 12/06/2011

I have been using a mineral Indiumease for better sleep for years as it produces natural melatonin.

[lynx781]

12:15 AM on 12/07/2011

A what???

[Grania]

12:52 PM on 12/09/2011

google Indiumease-it is a liquid trace mineral

[StrayTalk]

07:42 PM on 12/05/2011

I agree on the wine, but I can drink a couple of beers at night and sleep just fine. As for tea, I find ginger tea great to drink an hour before sleeping. I think you are way off on the exercising. Usually the days I do hard workouts in the evening, I just dont sleep as well. Others may differ.

[hunt3rxwl]

05:58 PM on 12/05/2011

I listen to audiobooks or dramas with my tv/soundsystem on a timer.
I use the noise to fall asleep and the bright light and sounds don't stay on for longer then 10 minutes. So i've hardly even fallen asleep. Works great and really helped me sleep even though I suffer with insomnia.

[bbertaud]

05:47 PM on 12/05/2011

Sexual activity makes people sleepy

[janehenderson]

03:11 PM on 12/05/2011

The best way to overcome insomnia is to find out what's causing the underlying insomnia and treat the underlying cause. http://www.gethelpfordepression.info/blog/index.php/2011/natural-remedies-for-insomnia/

[oberlinkay91]

01:32 PM on 12/05/2011

Try doing something relaxing before going to sleep. Sometimes that helps.

[adrastia9]

11:23 PM on 12/04/2011

I can't imagine many things more nauseating than warm milk. It smells strangely too. I kinda have to stick to soy though...And I don't think you are supposed to warm that up.

[gravityhunter]

01:17 PM on 12/04/2011

A good bong before sleep....