This common bedtime habit can make your insomnia worse (2024)

Sleep is a fickle mistress. The more you chase it, the more it goes away.

But, as we most likely know, there are some things we do before bed that just aren’t conducive to a good night’s kip (doomscrolling TikTok maybe?).

It’s not just our screens that might be impacting when we doze off, but also what we do hours before getting ready for bed.

We’re not talking about drinking caffeine, but rather, even ‘good’ habits like drinking water before bed might be disturbing your sleep.

Many of us gulp down glasses before bed – and can’t sleep without knowing there’s some water by the bed – but according to an expert, it’s a good idea to stop having any drinks two hours before bed.

This way your bladder isn’t full of water that’s going to disturb you in the night and wake you up for a 2am pee.

And if you’re regularly waking up in the middle of the night for a wee stop then your body might start naturally waking you up at this time even if you don’t need to go.

Dr Clara Doran, who worked as a GP and now heads up Nogginbrain, tells Metro.co.uk to be mindful of liquids before bed.

She explains: ‘Our brains are creatures of habit so once we get into the habit of getting up to go to the toilet, it can be hard to know if it’s really our bladder waking us up or because we are now in a routine of waking up then.

‘Age, any concurrent medication, the volume of fluid and what we drink in the hours before bedtime can impact the need to get up to use the bathroom overnight. Specifically, alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks can be irritative to our bladder and make this worse.

‘Guidance suggests avoiding fluids two to three hours before bedtime and this is a helpful general rule to consider, especially if you make frequent toilet trips overnight.’

But of course that doesn’t mean stop hydrating completely, after all, some people get very thirsty at night.

Dr Doran adds: ‘We must establish what works for us as individuals to balance maintaining hydration with minimising sleep disruption.

‘To prevent waking up thirsty, drinking regular amounts throughout the day should help this.

‘Keeping water by the bed is a good idea for small sips if you think you might need them.’

In some situations, it’s not peeing that makes people sleep worse, but having to wake up to drink water because they’re too thirsty or have sweat too much.

Dr Doran says: ‘Waking up thirsty in the middle of the night is most likely associated with factors such as hot weather, hormonal-driven night sweats, fever or excess alcohol or spicy food.’

You can stay hydrated through the day, drink electrolytes (which maintain hydration), eat fewer salty foods at night and avoid eating spicy meals or drinking too much, she says.

There are other things might impact sleep as well, adds Dr Doran.

For example, difficult conversations with friends or loved ones can leave you ruminating and feeling upset, therefore impacting the quality of your sleep

Late meals can impact digestion and make it harder to fall asleep as your gut is still hard at work.

And things that raise your heart rate, such as intense exercise, watching the news or that latest psychological thriller, can increase stress hormones including cortisol which can make it harder to fall asleep.

‘If waking like this is a regular event for you it is important to discuss this with your doctor,’ adds Dr Doran.

Do you have a story you want to share? Email Metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk to tell us more.

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