Researchers are claiming that widely accepted myths about sleep are damaging our health and affecting our moods.
A team at New York University trawled the internet to find the most common myths about sleep. They then went on to match them up to scientific evidence found in previous studies to see which ones were absolute rubbish and which ones were factual.
Myth – Watching TV in bed helps you unwind
Electronic screens emit a certain type of blue light that is capable of stopping the production of melanin in your brain. Melanin is a chemical released in the brain when it gets dark at night, and it’s what makes you feel sleepy. You might feel like you can fall asleep just fine after your show wraps up, but your sleep can still be affected. Also, depending on what you’re watching, you could be stressed out or made more alert by the TV show.
Myth – You can survive on less than 5 hours of sleep a night
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously had a brief four hours a night. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made similar claims; busy entrepreneurs and politicians are known to function on less sleep, yet researchers say that this myth was one of the most damaging myths to health.
“We have extensive evidence to show sleeping five hours or less consistently, increases your risk greatly for adverse health consequences,” said researcher Dr Rebecca Robbins. These included heart attacks and strokes, and shorter life expectancy. Instead, she recommends everyone should aim for a consistent seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
Myth – Ignoring your alarm
Everybody is guilty of it… But it has been revealed that those 10 minutes you fall back asleep for are some of the lowest quality sleep that you can get, and researchers suggest you should just get up.
