5 bad sleep habits to avoid

Sleep is no bonus: it determines how you feel, think and recover. Below, we dive deeper into five common sleep pitfalls, what they do to you and, above all, practical, directly applicable tips to break them.

1) Too much caffeine or alcohol

What's happening:
Caffeine blocks the effects of adenosine (the signal in your brain that makes you sleepy) and keeps you awake. Depending on your metabolism, caffeine stays in your system for hours — so your sleep can start later and be lighter.
Alcohol sometimes helps you fall asleep faster, but later disrupts the sleep structure (especially REM sleep), causing you to get less restorative sleep and wake up more often.

Tips for breaking through:

• Limit caffeine to the morning or at least 4—6 hours before bedtime . In the afternoon, try switching to decaffeinated alternatives (herbal tea, water with lemon).

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