A cup of coffee or a can of soda in the late afternoon might seem harmless, but caffeine has a half-life of several hours. This means that a significant amount of the caffeine you consume at 4 p.m. can still be in your system at 10 p.m., making it difficult to relax and fall asleep.
- The Fix: Stick to decaffeinated beverages after noon. Consider herbal teas or warm milk as a comforting evening alternative.
4. Using Your Bedroom as a Multi-Purpose Room
For many, the bedroom has become an office, a TV lounge, and a reading nook. This blurs the line between rest and activity. Your brain begins to associate your bed with wakefulness and stress, not with sleep. Using electronic devices like tablets or smartphones in bed is particularly harmful, as the blue light they emit can suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep
- The Fix: Dedicate your bedroom to two things: sleep and intimacy. Keep work materials, televisions, and other electronics out of the room. Create a space that is cool, dark, and quiet to signal to your body that it’s time to rest.
