The 5 things that ruin a good night's sleep, according to a doctor

By Sarah Jacoby -

Falling asleep sounds easy to achieve, but quite often it becomes a challenge for many.

If you're the type to toss and turn in bed, or stay awake within hours of closing your eyes, Dr. Craig Canapari, a pulmonologist and director of the Yale University Children's Sleep Center, explains that establishing

can help.

The doctor says that the first thing is to set a time to go to bed that allows a full night's sleep and also gives time to doze.

"It's normal to spend 30 minutes or more before falling asleep completely," explains Canapari.

"You have to allow yourself a little more leeway to get enough sleep at night."

That means you need

or risk "chronically disrupting your sleep," she says.

The use of electronic devices such as cell phones disrupts sleep, according to experts.JGI/Tom Grill / Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Sometimes life gets in the way, but sticking to a routine as consistently as possible will help you sleep better and wake up refreshed.

Canapari performs these simple practices to ensure quality sleep:

📱Never take your phone to bed

Keeping technology out of your bedroom is critical to protecting sleep, Canapari says.

This is because looking at the light on your phone or tablet can affect melatonin and disrupt your sleep rhythm, she explains.

[The White House backs a bipartisan bill that allows Biden to ban TikTok and regulate foreign technologies]

It also has to do with browsing Twitter, watching an exciting TV show, or reading anxiety-inducing emails probably not helping you fall asleep.

Apps like TikTok are also “calibrated to deliver these short doses of media back to back and they tend to be incredibly engaging and hard to ignore,” he says.

⏰ Do not skip the routine, not even on weekends

Even if you don't stick to a strict bedtime every night, “humans of all ages benefit from setting limits,” Canapari says.

First of all, the doctor recommends

during the week and on the weekend.

The CDC warns about a dangerous bacterium that affects newborns

March 9, 202301:37

The second step is the transition from more energetic activities to more relaxing ones that help calm down.

"That means leaving YouTube or Netflix and reading a book or talking to your partner," she recommends.

The goal is to have a specific time at night when you say to yourself, “I'm not working anymore.

I'm not going to try to do anything for the next day.

I have entered the process to end up falling asleep”, explains Canapari.

☕ Do not consume caffeine after noon

The energizing effects of daily coffee or tea affect each person differently, lasting for a short time for some, or as long as 10 or 12 hours for others.

If you drink caffeine late in the day, it could make you too alert when you try to fall asleep.

"It's better" to avoid caffeine after noon

recommends Canapari.

This “almost certainly works for most people,” she says.

[A man dies from drinking a drink with the same caffeine as 200 cups of coffee]

If you frequently feel like you need caffeine in the afternoon to continue your day, despite having slept through the night, there may be something else going on, Canapari says.

It could be a sign of a problem like sleep apnea, which is affecting the quality of your night's rest.

🍕Do not eat before going to bed

Eating too close to bedtime is "absolutely deadly for sleep quality," says Canapari.

"It just destroys her."

“On a normal night,

,” he explains.

They assure that the Keto diet could cause health risks and launch health alerts

March 8, 202303:15

And after testing the effects of alcohol on your sleep, Canapari also recommends limiting your consumption to one or two nights a week.

"If you have trouble sleeping and feel tired during the day, try cutting back on alcohol," he suggests.

😴 Do not pressure yourself to sleep

If you're interested in improving your sleep, measuring it with some kind of tracking device can be really helpful, Canapari says.

The doctor says that this is how he was able to detect the impact that the drink was having on his sleep.

If you're looking for a sleep coaching app, she recommends

, from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The important thing is

he stresses.

For some people, focusing on getting a perfect sleep score, a condition called orthosomnia, actually fuels anxiety and can make sleep worse.

Even if you keep track, "you don't have to look at the data every day," Canapari says.

"You shouldn't put that much pressure on him."