
What's The Truth Behind These 5 Sleep Myths?
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If there’s one thing that all of us love unanimously, it is sleeping. The 6-8 hours of sleep that we get on our beds is like a glimpse of heaven. However, there are always days where we question ourselves regarding our sleeping patterns. Questions like “How long should my afternoon nap be?” or “Can I make up for lost sleep by sleeping on the weekend?” linger in our minds like a catchy song.
Listed below are the most common sleep myths that most people mistake for fact. Read on to know the actual truth.
Myth #1: You can condition your mind to sleep less.
Truth: Your body necessarily requires at least 6 to 8 hours sleep in order to function optimally. If you sleep less on any particular day, consequences like fatigue, irritation, concentration problems, etc will definitely follow.
Myth #2: Constant tiredness is due to insufficient sleep.
Truth: Despite of sleeping for 6-8 hours every night, if you feel tired throughout the day, then the quality of your sleep is to be blamed. Certain things like cigarettes, exposure to phone light, etc can spoil the quality of your sleep at night.
Myth #3: Your brain rests while you are asleep.
Truth: Your mind is, in fact, the most active when you are sleeping. Your brain makes use of your resting hours to recollect the events of the day and hard code them into your long term memory. This is one of the reasons why proper sleep is linked to better memory and cognition.
Myth #4: Snoring is harmless.
Truth: Yes, to a certain extent, snoring is harmless but snoring regularly could be a sign of an underlying sleep condition known as sleep apnea. Snoring regularly has also been linked hypertension according to some studies.
Myth #5: You can make up for lost sleep over the weekends.
Truth: Sleeping for long hours on the weekend messes with the body’s internal clock which can in turn cause problems in sleeping on the weekdays. It is always best to have a fixed sleeping schedule and stick to it.
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