5 Sleep Myths You Need To Ignore

It surprises me, but there’s actually quite a few sleep myths out there, that are commonly believed. In this blog I explore them, and cover the 5 common sleep myths

1. I can catch up on my sleep

You’ve had a busy week, lots of late nights, and early mornings. But it’s okay as you’re going to catch up on your sleep at the weekend. It would be great if that worked, but unfortunately, it’s not as simple as that.
You can’t make up for a sleep deficit. In one 24-hour cycle you need to get in good quality sleep , complete 4 cycles of deep sleep including REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, so that you can tackle the next day. Your body won’t be able to reset at the weekend, sleep memory doesn’t last that long.

2. More sleep is good for you

It’s important to get enough sleep, but just like too little sleep isn’t good for you, having too much sleep is equally not good for you. Oversleeping can actually lead to serious health issues. What’s key is the quality of the sleep, and that’s what we should concentrate on rather than the quantity.

Your 4 cycles of deep sleep including REM sleep should take about 8 hours, and then you should naturally wake up. If you are oversleeping then it is likely you’re doing too much REM which is exhausting. I know this sounds counter intuitive as surely if you’re sleeping how can you be exhausted, but you’re not getting enough deep sleep and so you wake up exhausted.

Oversleeping can also be a sign of depression. It can also be linked to diabetes, heart disease

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3. I can manage on 4-6 hours sleep

The key word here being ‘manage’. So you might be able to ‘manage’, and you might be able to function, but long term this is not healthy, and not good for your body or mind. And you certainly won’t be at peak performance. You’ll just be managing and getting by. 

Sleep is not just one thing. There are so many processes that occur during sleep, and just the feeling of being alert and ready for your day is only 1 bio-marker. So although you may feel well, this amount of sleep will catch up with you at some point.

Chronic lack of sleep is associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Margaret Thatcher was famously known for only having 4 hours sleep a night. Yet what isn’t well publicised is that she was seen to be constantly exhausted, was often spotted nodding off and, spent the last 12 years of her life suffering from dementia (literally translated as brain-failure).

4. I’ve always been a poor sleeper

You might struggle with your sleeping now, but chances are you’ve not always been a poor sleeper. And telling yourself you’re a poor sleep won’t help.

Sleep is an essential biological response. You need to rest your body and empty the stress bucket overnight and scientists are only beginning to understand this process.

What you’ve probably done is taught yourself how to stay awake. So now it’s time to teach yourself again to sleep. You knew how to do it when you were a baby and a child, so you can do it again. 

5. Waiting for a sign to let me know I’m tired

Do not wait for a sign like for example yawning to tell you, you need to sleep. Yawning is not the only marker you need. You should feel ready for bed at a regular time each night due to general tiredness. This does not always show up with a yawn. If you’re struggling with sleep, it might be that you need to just start going to be at a regular time, regardless of whether you’re tired or not, and start forming the habit of sleep. If you go to bed at the same time regularly, your body will naturally start getting tired, and ready to go to sleep around that time. 

Gone are the days when sleep was considered for the lazy. We know so much about sleep now that it is an essential part of our life. Sleep isn’t for the lazy, sleep is a necessity, and some of the most successful & productive people out there, are where they are today because they get the right quality sleep.
There’s increasing evidence that lack of sleep is contributing to our current mental illness epidemic.

Take sleep seriously, it’s so good for you, it’s free therapy and it definitely helps to empty the stress bucket.

Download my FREE Relaxation Track to help get a good night’s sleep