9 Common Problematic Sleep Myths Debunked By Science

On average, every human spends around one-third of its life asleep. However, sleep still remains somewhat of a mystery for most people. Nowadays there is a lot of misinformation about sleep being spread around online, on social media or through word of mouth. Some of this false information is repeated so often that it becomes a widely spread myth. This can be quite dangerous as these sleep myths can lead to poor sleep habits and can pose significant health risks.

There is an urgent need to educate the public about healthy sleep behaviors as well as debunk some of the most harmful sleep myths out there. Below you can find nine of the most common and harmful sleep myths which are scientifically proven as incorrect.

Myth #1: Most Adults Can Get By Fine With Only 5 Hours of Sleep

This myth is likely the most harmful of all the sleep myths circulating out there. Regularly sleeping only 5 hours per night has far reaching health consequences on both physical and mental health. Examples include a drastically increased likelihood of developing cancer, diabetes, obesity, dementia, various mental disorders and many more negative health effects. These negative consequences are discussed in detail on the page focused on The Impact of Inadequate Sleep on Individuals.

The National Sleep Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. There is a rare exception for a very small percentage of the population. These people have a genetic mutation that allows them to naturally sleep for a shorter amount of time and still wake up refreshed in the morning. However the odds of having this genetic mutation is very slim, estimated at around one in four million. 

Myth #2: Your Body Gets Used to Getting Less Sleep

This is another very common myth which is widespread in the developed world. It is often used as a justification for a regular lack of sleep at night. Research indicates that your brain and body are negatively affected by a lack of sleep in both the short and long term. Persistent sleep deprivation causes daytime drowsiness which may stabilize over time but this does not mean that your body is effectively adjusting to sleep loss. This is because persistent sleep deprivation lowers a person’s daily performance, decision-making, memory and focus significantly.

Individuals with chronic sleep restriction over months or even years will acclimate to their impaired performance. A new baseline of low-level exhaustion, lower alertness and reduced energy levels is created. Consequently, these individuals think they are getting accustomed to sleeping too little. However, in reality it is very likely there are serious health problems accumulating as the body is unable to obtain the rest it so desperately needs. 

Myth #3: You Can Catch Up On Sleep During The Weekend

The majority of people in first-world countries build up a sleep debt during the week. Consequently, they attempt to recover this sleep debt during the weekend. Unfortunately, it does not work like that. The brain can never recover all the sleep it has been deprived of during the week. Consequently, this sleep debt will continue to accumulate over time and will eventually cause chronic sleep deprivation.

Studies indicate that it takes more than three nights of adequate sleep to recover from a week of being sleep deprived. Recovering one or two hours of missed sleep here and there is doable. However if you are chronically sleep deprived, logging a marathon sleep session is not going to help. It might actually leave you feeling worse.

Myth #4: Snoring is Harmless and You Can’t Do Anything About It

Light and occasional snoring usually is not a problem. However, loud and regular snoring can indicate a blockage of the airway at night which can be concerning. Loud snoring is one of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common and serious breathing disorder which prevents a person from obtaining sufficient oxygen while sleeping. Luckily, there are various methods and tools available which can help people to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of sleep apnea. More information can be found on the page focused on Sleep Apnea and Other Sleep Disorders.

Myth #5: Older People Need Less Sleep

The saying that older adults need less sleep is completely wrong. All adults, no matter how old, need 7 to 9 hours of sleep to function at their best. Older adults need as much sleep as they do in midlife but are simply unable to generate the same amount of sleep. This is often the result of some medical conditions and/or certain medications more commonly taken by older adults. Additionally, the natural biorhythm of the elderly is shifted much earlier than younger adults. This causes them to wake up very early, often between 4 and 5 am. But this does not mean they are fully rested.

Elderly people are unable to maintain the same amount of deep sleep compared to younger adults. Furthermore, the intensity and quality of those deep sleep brainwaves are reduced significantly. By the time we reach seventy years old, we will have lost 80 to 90 percent of the deep sleep we were enjoying as a young adult. More information on this topic can be found on the page focused on The Importance of Sleep Throughout Our Lives.

Additionally, the sleep efficiency of elderly people drops to around 70 or 80 percent. This means that within an eight-hour period in bed, about one to one and a half hours is spend awake. This is due to sleep fragmentation as older people wake up more frequently throughout the night. The causes include medication side effects, the effects of diseases, and more often than not, a weakened bladder.

All these factors combined cause many elderly people to be sleep deprived. Furthermore, sleep disorders such as insomnia are very common issues within the elderly population. More information on this topic can be found on the page focused on Insomnia of the Elderly.

Myth #6: It Doesn’t Matter What Time of Day You Sleep

Studies indicate that the timing of sleep is crucial for our health and mental wellbeing. It is recommended to sleep as much as possible during the hours of darkness in order to align the body’s internal clock with our environment. Proper sleep timing is important for sleep quality and needs to be synchronized to our specific internal clock. Not everybody’s biological clock is the same. Instead, different people fall under different classifications called sleep chronotypes.

People who are out of synch with their personal bio-time for an extended period will suffer devastating physical, mental and emotional health consequences. This is the main reason why most people who regularly undertake (night) shift work have a much higher risk for many types of serious health conditions. Examples include issues with cardiovascular function, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, infertility etc. If you regularly conduct shift work, it is recommended to visit the page focused on How to Minimize The Negative Health Consequences of Shift Work.

Myth #7: How Long You Sleep is All That Matters

Obtaining between 7 and 9 hours per night is crucial for our health and daily functioning. However, sleep duration is not the only thing that matters. Other important factors are sleep quality and sleep continuity. Sleep fragmentation at night can be detrimental for health and prevents people from being fully rested in the morning. This is because regular sleep interruptions can disrupt a person’s ability to properly move through the different stages of sleep as part of the sleep cycle. Consequently, this can decrease the amount of time spent in the most restorative stages of sleep. For this reason, every person needs an adequate amount of high-quality uninterrupted sleep at night to be fully rested in the morning.

Myth #8: Alcohol Before Bed Will Improve Your Sleep

Many people believe that alcohol helps them to sleep better at night. However, this couldn’t be further away from the truth. Alcohol affects sleep negatively in three major ways:

• First of all, alcohol in the blood leads to sleep fragmentation. Individuals who consumed alcohol will briefly awaken numerous times throughout the night. These awakenings are mostly unnoticed by the sleeper.
• Secondly, alcohol can worsen snoring and sleep apnea.
• Lastly, alcohol is one of the most powerful suppressors of REM sleep. REM is crucial for our health and mental wellbeing as discussed in detail on the page focused on The Benefits of REM Sleep Dreaming.

As a result of the numerous sleep disruptions, caused by consuming alcohol, individuals feel exhausted during the next day. Often, these people fail to make the connection of their daytime exhaustion with their alcohol consumption the night before. More information on  the negative impact of alcohol on sleep can be found on the page focused on The External Causes of Insomnia.

Myth #9: Watching Television is a Good Way to Relax Before Bed

Many people have the bad habit of watching television late at night. They believe it helps them to relax and they consider it a good way to prepare for bed. However, this is scientifically proven as incorrect. Late night use of all types of electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and smart tv’s have a significant negative impact on sleep. Furthermore, electronic devices often emit blue LED light which is especially harmful. This is because the light receptors in our eyes are much more sensitive to short-wavelength light within the blue spectrum.

Studies indicate that late night exposure to electronic devices causes individuals to take much longer to fall asleep. Additionally, exposure to these electronic devices disrupts our circadian rhythm. Finally, they cause individuals to lose a significant amount of REM sleep. For these reasons, exposure to direct blue light late at night should be avoided at all cost. More information on this topic can be found on the page focused on The External Causes of Insomnia.