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Sleep is a crucial part of our overall health.
It's during sleep that our bodies recover

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after a workout, our brains store our memories,
and virtually all of our systems slow down

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and stabilize. Here are the things to avoid
doing right before bed so you can clock some

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quality shut-eye. For many of us, late at night is
prime time to catch up on our favorite TV shows. But

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watching TV right before bed, or having it on
all night, can be disruptive to your sleep

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The blue light that's emitted by your TV affects
the amount of the sleep-regulating hormone

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melatonin, that your body will produce,
making you less likely to become sleepy

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Don't watch TV? If you sleep with your phone nearby
and use it right before bed, raise your hand

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Like TVs, smartphones and computers also emit melatonin-disrupting light. Some of
these devices now have a blue light shade setting, similar to the effect of amber

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lenses that researchers have used to demonstrate
that blocking out blue light leads to better sleep

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While reading a trashy romance novel, self-help
book, or memoir might be a good way to wind

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down at the end of the day, it's going to be
a lot harder to rest after reading a thriller

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While reading, we begin to associate and empathize
with the characters, feeling what they feel

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— things like increased heart rate and brain
activity, which can keep you from a restful

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night's sleep. It's better to read about something boring. That knock you right out Some people like to check their work email right
before bed to know what they in for the next day But that can make you feel stressed about the day ahead making it harder to fall and

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stay asleep. Trade checking work email late at night
for checking it in the morning when you head out

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the door. They say you should never go to bed angry. In fact, having
difficult conversations at night can negatively impact your sleep

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Not only could an argument lead to going to
bed later, but there's no guarantee that you'll

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actually come to a resolution before you go to sleep. Save those heavy
conversations for the daylight hours when you'll have lots of time to work

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them out. Life can get busy, especially for
those of us who work late hours or have children

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Or both. Before you know it, it's 9
p.m. and you still haven't eaten dinner

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But not only has late-night eating been correlated
to obesity, research suggests an overlap between

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eating late at night and binge eating disorder. Eating
right before bed comes with other problems, too

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Foods that have hidden caffeine or sugar,
like chocolate, can keep you awake even if

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you've skipped the coffee. And in general, eating right
before bed can lead to acid reflux during the night

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"'Workin' on my night cheese!" Caffeine
should be avoided before bedtime, too

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Even if you feel like you're able to fall
asleep with no problem after drinking caffeine

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you may still be affected. One study showed that not only
can caffeine make it harder to fall asleep, it makes it

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difficult to develop or sustain deeper stages of non eye movement sleep How late is too late to sip an
iced latte One study found that drinking caffeine even six hours before bedtime reduced nightly sleep

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by more than an hour. Even if you aren't drinking to
the point of passing out, a relatively small amount of

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alcohol can have an impact on your sleep,
leaving you tired and groggy the next day

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You should stop drinking altogether. Oh, I'll stop
drinking, you're right. Stop drinking, start dancing

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Sure, a glass of wine before bed may make you
feel more relaxed and help you fall asleep

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fast, but the quality of your sleep will suffer.
Drinking actually increases brainwave patterns

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tricking your brain into behaving as if it's
awake when you're trying to catch some Zs

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Drinking enough water helps regulate blood
pressure, flush bacteria from your bladder

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and sustain virtually every system in your
body. While many recommendations cite a need

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for six to eight glasses of water per day
minimum, don't drink them all right before

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bed. It's tough to get a good night's sleep
when you're running to the bathroom all night

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The National Sleep Foundation recommends
daily exercise to help you get better sleep

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but going to the gym late at night can
potentially have a negative effect on your sleep

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Working out gets your adrenaline pumping and
your heart racing, which is definitely not a

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recipe for a successful night of sleep. But
this isn't the same for everyone. A study in

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the Society of Psychophysiological Research
suggests that people who work out late at

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night saw an improved sleep pattern So if you working out late experts suggest a quick cold shower to bring your body temp back down Deep
breathing can also help level out your adrenaline too While you may think it better to be toasty to get a good night sleep it turns out

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that turning down the thermostat can
actually lead to a better night's sleep

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According to the National Sleep Foundation, the
ideal sleep temp is between 60 and 67 degrees

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This is because sleep preferably occurs during
the circadian phase of decreased heat production

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and increased heat loss. When that rhythm doesn't
happen naturally because you have the heat cranked

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up, your sleep can also be disrupted. Establishing
a nighttime routine has been shown to be beneficial

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for everyone, from young children to older adults.
These routines work by signaling to your brain

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that it's time to start winding down and preparing
for sleep. While the most obvious way to establish

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a routine is to go to bed at the same time every
day, bedtime routines often involve things like

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showering and brushing your teeth. But if you
normally shower in the morning to help wake you

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up, but decide to shower at night, your brain
might see this as a signal to stay awake rather

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than sleep. Your best bet is to establish a
routine so your body and brain will know when

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it's time to go to bed. Sleep is incredibly
important, but realistically, it's unlikely

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that we'll stick to all of these suggestions on
a daily basis. Instead of stressing about whether

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or not you're setting yourself up for optimal
sleep, focus on small steps to improve your shut

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eye because quality sleep fuels a great day