Sleeping is one of the easiest ways to refresh us and making us feel generally better, as well as restoring our health and general wellbeing.


Despite this we have those nights, where we are tossing and turning and look at the clock every 5 minutes worrying about our lack of sleep.


Here are ten sleep myths, which are believed by many people to be true. Accompanied with hints and ideas on ensuring you get a peaceful nights sleep.


1.Every Adult needs around 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night This is not entirely true despite most people sleeping around 7 or 8 hours a night, there have been cases of people sleeping for ten hours or as little as five. Instead of chasing the average, find out how many hours suits you and stick at that.

2.We should try to make up for all our lost sleep on subsequent nights This is never advisable as your sleep pattern will become disrupted and although come Monday morning you will feel refreshed, you will slump mid-afternoon. Instead stick to a balanced sleep pattern, sleep on average the same each night and not sleeping more than an extra two hours at the weekend.


3.The older you are the less sleep you need. An adult requires the same amount of sleep throughout their life. However the older you get the more difficult it may be to sleep, it might become lighter and you may find it is easier to be woken up by the slightest noise.

4.Waking up during the night means you'll be tired all day. Just 90 minutes less sleep than usual will make you noticeably more sleepy during the day, it will also hinder your ability to make decisions and react quickly, as well as fighting off infections. A sleep debt will build up if your interrupted sleep is consistent, making you feel excessively tired.


5.Naps are a waste of time. Nothing can effectively replace a full nights sleep however a power nap can restore you and make you feel more alert to a certain extent. Taking a nap after 3pm can affect your sleep pattern for that night, making you less tired so it being more difficult to fall asleep.

6.A good workout in the evening will make you tired so you'll fall asleep faster. Exercise is better earlier in the day as it elevates temperature causing it to stay high for hours which may result in you being unable to sleep. Some people do find it does help as they feel more tired so it is easier to fall asleep, so find out what's best for you.


7.It's good to hang out in your bedroom at night, before you go to sleep, because it will get you "ready" to fall asleep. It is always best to get a routine before going to sleep, your body recognises that you are preparing yourself for sleep and gets your body ready. This way it will be easier to drift off.

8.Eating before bedtime will cause nightmares It has not yet been proven that certain foods do cause nightmares. However eating shortly before bedtime will affect digestion and cause discomfort, therefore resulting in a interrupted and irregular sleep.


9.Snoring is the same as Sleep Apnea Snoring and Sleep Apnea often get confused with each other when in fact this most serious of the two, Sleep Apnea will cause the sleeper to stop breathing completely numerous times in one night. To help with the condition, use of a CPAP mask is advised as it keeps your airways open as you sleep.

10.Watching TV in my bedroom and working on my laptop in bed helps me wind down and fall asleep. Any type of activity which requires you to be alert, is counter-productive when trying to sleep. It doesn't allow you to unwind and can keep your body alert. It is also recommended that you keep your bedroom primarily for sleeping.


Making sure you get a good nights sleep will have a drastic impact on your body and general health. If you still can't seem to get a full nights sleep, try not to panic and visit your family doctor for more advice.