1. Catching Up

MYTH

It’s good to “catch up” on sleep when you can--like sleeping in late on weekends.

TRUTH

It’s tempting to sleep late on weekends, but it’s important to keep a regular sleep schedule seven days a week. A regular bedtime and waking time will help you fall asleep at night.

2. Evening Workouts

MYTH

A good workout in the evening will make you tired so you’ll fall asleep faster.

TRUTH

Exercising regularly does make it easier to fall asleep. But make sure you finish working out at least three hours before bedtime--preferably in the afternoon. A cooler body makes it easier to fall asleep. Exercise raises your body temperature and it takes about six hours to get back to normal temperature.

 3. Older People

MYTH - Older people need less sleep.

TRUTH -It may seem like older folks get by on less sleep. But the TRUTH is, they need the same amount of sleep as younger people--seven to nine hours a day. It’s their sleep patterns that change: They tend to sleep more during the day, with small naps.

 4. Brain’s Rest

MYTH - Sleep is needed for your brain to rest.

TRUTH - Sleep is definitely needed--but it’s not your brain that needs to rest, it’s your body. Your brain is still working when you’re asleep, controlling bodily functions like breathing.

 5. Falling Back Asleep

MYTH - If you wake up in the middle of the night, it’s best to lie still and try to fall back asleep. Getting up will only wake you up more.

TRUTH - If you can’t fall back asleep within 15-20 minutes, get out of bed. Go to another room and do something relaxing, like listening to music or reading. If you lie there stressing out about falling back asleep, you’ll only get more anxious--and never fall asleep.

 6. Your Bedroom

MYTH - It’s good to hang out in your bedroom at night, before you go to sleep, because it will get you “ready” to fall asleep.

TRUTH - The more activities you associate with your bedroom--like watching TV, or working on your computer--the harder it may be to fall asleep there when you want to. It’s best to use your bed only for sleep and sex, to strengthen the association between bed and sleep.

 7. Sex

MYTH - Sex at night will only arouse you and keep you up.

TRUTH - Actually, sex releases endorphins that make you feel good about yourself, so it relieves stress making it easier to fall asleep.

 8. Temperature

MYTH - Cozying up under heavy blankets will make you go to sleep faster.

TRUTH - The body gets into sleep mode more easily when it is at a cooler temperature. So if you must use a squishy down comforter (or two), open the window a crack to let in some fresh air. You don’t want to be cold, but you don’t want to get too warm either.

9. Snoring

MYTH - Snoring is common and totally harmless.

TRUTH - Snoring is common--and harmless for most people. But it also may be a symptom of sleep disorder called sleep apnea (which can be life threatening). If you snore loudly, and there are long pauses in your snoring, you should see your doctor. Sleep apnea can be treated.

 10. Alcohol

MYTH - A nice glass of wine will help calm you down and put you to sleep faster.

TRUTH - While drinking alcohol may make you tired and put you to sleep faster (and of course drinking a lot will really knock you out), you’ll end up having fragmented sleep and waking up during the night.