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Here we have a nice list of the top 10 sleeping myths. Sleeping myths are very common and are often confused with sleeping facts so I'm going to use this article to point out the top 10 sleeping myths and point you in the direction of the sleeping facts.
Some of these sleeping myths you may find obvious, others you may not. With this list I will improve your knowledge on sleeping myths so you can sleep better.
Sleep Myth 1:
Sleep is a time when your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation
- This is one of my favourite sleeping myths. I’ve had this said to me many times and I for one, used to believe every word of it. But, with a little personal research into the subject matter anyone can quickly identify its flaws, and how it really is one of the sleeping myths and not sleeping facts.
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No evidence shows that any major organ (including the brain) or regulatory system in the body shuts down during sleep. Some physiological processes actually become more active while you sleep. For example, secretion of certain hormones is boosted, and activity of the pathways in the brain needed for learning and memory is heightened. If you want to sleep better you must get rid of this sleeping myth from your mind.
Sleep Myth 2:
Getting just 1 hour less sleep per night than needed will not have any effect on your daytime functioning
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This sleeping myth I really wasn’t sure on. This is mainly because it's something I used to do. I’m very guilty of this and actually thought it would help me to sleep better the following night. This is one of the least understood sleeping myths in my opinion and I’m here to set the sleeping facts straight.
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The technique to lose 1 hour sleep per night does not make you noticeably sleepy during the day. But even slightly less sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly, and it can compromise your cardiovascular health and energy balance as well as the ability to fight infections, particularly if lack of sleep continues. If you consistently do not get enough sleep, eventually a sleep debt builds up that will make you excessively tired during the day. Thankfully I didn’t get this far since I was intelligent enough to research, like you are for reading this.
Sleep Myth 3:
Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules
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I used to be one of those people who stayed up late and got up late. Then I decided to sleep better and change my sleep schedule to get up early. Little did I know how difficult it was to sleep better! I was in desperate need of the sleeping facts regarding this issue! Thankfully I found them and now I’d like to share them with you. This is one of the hardest little sleeping myths to conquer, but you can do it with the sleeping facts.
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Sleeping facts - Your biological clock makes you most alert during the daytime and most drowsy at night. So, even if you work the night shift, you will naturally feel sleepy when night time comes. Most people can reset their biological clock, but only by appropriately timed cues, and even then, by 1–2 hours per day at best. So with this playing out, it can take more than a week to adjust to a dramatically altered sleeping cycle, such as you may encounter when travelling across different time zones or switching from working the day shift to the night shift. Sleeping myths are dropping fast with these simple facts, so if you’re enjoying waving goodbye to them so far, continue with the rest.
Sleep Myth 4:
People need less sleep as they get older
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I suppose I can’t really comment much on sleeping myths such as these since I’m only 21. But, I’ll have a go. Sleeping myths such as these need to be weeded out, otherwise they can have bad side effects to health and happiness.
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Sleeping Facts - Older people don’t need less sleep, but they often get less sleep or find their sleep less refreshing. That’s because as people age, they spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep and are more easily awakened. Older people are also more likely to have insomnia or other medical conditions that disrupt their sleep.
Sleep Myth 5:
Extra sleep at night can cure you of problems with excessive daytime fatigue
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Ok, I admit it. I used to be rather lazy. I slept up to 10 to 12 hours at times and didn’t get much done. I’d love to say it was because of these sleeping myths. But, I know it was just because of laziness! I did learn though while sleeping for this long that to sleep better, it doesn’t necessarily matter how long you sleep if the quality isn’t there. The sleeping facts I’ve assembled will help you understanding this.
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Sleeping Facts - Not only is the quantity of sleep important but also the quality of sleep. Some people sleep 10 or 12 hours a night (was a long time ago!) but don’t feel well rested when they wake up because the quality of their sleep is poor. A number of sleep disorders and other medical conditions affect the quality of sleep. Sleeping more won’t alleviate the daytime sleepiness these disorders or conditions cause. However, many of these disorders or conditions can be treated effectively with changes in behaviour or with medical therapies. Sleeping facts to the rescue once again. Hopefully this has killed one of the biggest sleeping myths for you, read on so we can fry some more with even juicier sleeping facts.
Sleep Myth 6:
You can make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends
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I’m sure almost everyone knows this little trick! But, I’m sorry to break it to you it is one of the sleeping myths.
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Sleeping Facts - Although this is one of the myths, a sleeping pattern such as this will help relieve part of a sleep debt, but it will not completely make up for the lack of sleep. This pattern will also not make up for impaired performance during the week because of not sleeping enough. Furthermore, sleeping later on the weekends can affect your biological clock so that it is much harder to go to sleep at the right time on Sunday nights and get up early on Monday mornings. To sleep better you really should get these sleeping myths out of the way. Let the sleeping facts guide you.
Sleep Myth 7:
Naps are a waste of time
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Nonsense! Anyone who does think naps are a waste of time needs to read this now! The fact that a lot of people believe naps are a waste of time made this one of the biggest sleeping myths.
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Sleeping Facts - Although naps do not substitute for a good night’s sleep, they can be restorative and help counter some of the impaired performance that results from not getting enough sleep at night. Naps can actually help you learn how to do certain tasks quicker. But avoid taking naps later than 3 PM, as late naps can interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night. Also, limit your naps to no longer than 1 hour because longer naps will make it harder to wake up and get back in the swing of things. If you take frequent naps during the day, you may have a sleep disorder that should be treated. Another one of those big sleeping myths out of the way.
Sleep Myth 8:
Snoring is a normal part of sleep
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I snore, and I hate it. I’m glad I researched some sleeping facts to help me bust one of the biggest sleeping myths, if not the biggest sleeping myth ever! To sleep better, you need to know these sleeping facts.
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Sleeping Facts - Snoring during sleep is common, particularly as a person gets older. Evidence is growing that snoring on a regular basis can make you sleepy during the day and more susceptible to diabetes and heart disease. In addition, some studies link frequent snoring to problem behaviour and poorer school achievement in children. Loud, frequent snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder that should be treated. I don’t snore loud, or as far as I’m told. But, if you do you should have it checked out by your GP. Sleeping myths at times can be dangerous to health, this is one of them and I hope I’ve destroyed the myth in your mind with the sleeping facts.
Sleep Myth 9:
Children who don’t get enough sleep at night will show signs of sleepiness during the day
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Sleep for a child is important, very important since it’s needed for memory and other psychological factors. This again is one of the most common sleeping myths that people believe and I have some sleeping facts to help you get a better understanding. If you want your child to sleep better then read this.
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Sleeping Facts - Unlike adults, children who don’t get enough sleep at night typically become more active than normal during the day. They also show difficulty paying attention and behaving properly. Consequently, they may be misdiagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactivity. This is one of the sleeping myths you have to get rid of; you don’t want a misdiagnosed child. Sleeping facts are everywhere and if you have a similar problem with your child, I’d advise you to research.
Sleep Myth 10:
The main cause of insomnia is worry
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I’d like to firstly say I’ve never suffered from insomnia, but if someone is reading this and has suffered from insomnia I’d love it if you would
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in extra information about the condition from your perspective. Sleeping myths vary and this isn’t one of the most common but I thought it was important to add. I’ve arranged some sleeping facts to quell this sleeping myth, for you to sleep better.
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Sleeping Facts - Although worry or stress can cause a short bout of insomnia, a persistent inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night can be caused by a number of other factors. Certain medications and sleep disorders can keep you up at night. Other common causes of insomnia are depression, anxiety disorders, and asthma, arthritis, or other medical conditions with symptoms that become more troublesome at night. Some people who have chronic insomnia also appear to be more revved up than normal, so it is harder for them to fall asleep.
There we go! Sleeping myths busted with a bunch of sleeping facts. Now why don’t you go check out some related reads such as snoring and health, your guide to healthy sleep and get a good nights sleep tips.
Books I recommend
Sleep can be a very stressful thing if it isn't right. This article gives you a small amount of information compared to what further reading of these books can provide. I recommend you read these books further to improve your knowledge regarding sleep, espeically Martin's Counting Sheep.
 Craig is a 22-year-old student currently studying psychology at Bournemouth University. He runs a self improvement blog and community filled with useful advice. His main aim is to help people exceed their expectations and reach their true potential.
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Top Questions answered by this article
- Do naps work?
- Do people sleep less when they get older?
- Why do people feel guilty for sleeping in?
- Is loud snoring normal?
- Is insomnia caused by worry?
A. Although naps do not substitute for a good night’s sleep, they can be restorative and help counter some of the impaired performance that results from not getting enough sleep at night. Naps can actually help you learn how to do certain tasks quicker. But avoid taking naps later than 3 PM, as late naps can interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night. Also, limit your naps to no longer than 1 hour because longer naps will make it harder to wake up and get back in the swing of things. If you take frequent naps during the day, you may have a sleep disorder that should be treated. Read the related paragraph here.
Q. Do people sleep less when they get older?
A. Older people don’t need less sleep, but they often get less sleep or find their sleep less refreshing.That’s because as people age, they spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep and are more easily awakened. Older people are also more likely to have insomnia or other medical conditions that disrupt their sleep. Read the related paragraph here.
Q. Why do people feel guily for sleeping in?
A. With the way the world currently works, people are frantically worrying about their time and at the same time worrying if they spend too much time sleeping. What these people need to realise that sleeping is incredibly important and without it they'd suffer with everything. Sleeping in, if you need it shouldn't make you feel guilty.
Q. Is loud snoring normal?
A. Snoring during sleep is common, particularly as a person gets older. Loud, frequent snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder that should be treated. Read this related paragraph.
Q. Is insomnia caused by worry?
A. No. Although worry or stress can cause a short bout of insomnia, a persistent inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night can be caused by a number of other factors. Certain medications and sleep disorders can keep you up at night. Other common causes of insomnia are depression, anxiety disorders, and asthma, arthritis, or other medical conditions with symptoms that become more troublesome at night. Some people who have chronic insomnia also appear to be more revved up than normal, so it is harder for them to fall asleep.
'On The Run' Summary
This is a broken down version of the above article. The 'On The Run' Summary is here to provide you with basic headers and points about the article so you can get the 'idea'.
Click on the different headers to jump to the full article piece.
Sleep Myth 1: Sleep is a time when your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation
- No evidence shows that any major organ (including the brain) or regulatory system in the body shuts down during sleep. Some physiological processes actually become more active while you sleep.
Sleep Myth 2: Getting just 1 hour less sleep per night than needed will not have any effect on your daytime functioning
-
The technique to lose 1 hour sleep per night does not make you noticeably sleepy during the day. But even slightly less sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly, and it can compromise your cardiovascular health and energy balance as well as the ability to fight infections, particularly if lack of sleep continues.
Sleep Myth 3: Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules
- Your biological clock makes you most alert during the daytime and most drowsy at night.
Sleep Myth 4: People need less sleep as they get older
Sleep Myth 5: Extra sleep at night can cure you of problems with excessive daytime fatigue
Sleep Myth 6: You can make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends
Sleep Myth 7: Naps are a waste of time
Sleep Myth 8: Snoring is a normal part of sleep
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Snoring during sleep is common, particularly as a person gets older.
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Evidence is growing that snoring on a regular basis can make you sleepy during the day and more susceptible to diabetes and heart disease.
Sleep Myth 9: Children who don’t get enough sleep at night will show signs of sleepiness during the day
Sleep Myth 10: The main cause of insomnia is worry
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