Weird Reasons You Cant Sleep: Your Phone, Your Dinner

According to a new study conducted by Michigan
State University, people who use their phones for work-related purposes
after 9 p.m. don't sleep that well and are less productive the following
day.

 You finally have a legitimate reason not to respond to a late-night email from your boss: According to a new study conducted by Michigan State University, people who use their phones for work-related purposes after 9 p.m. don't sleep that well and are less productive the following day.


"We studied work-related phone calls, emails, and text messages because engaging in work before bed doesn't allow people to disengage from their day, unlike more relaxing activities like texting with a friend," lead study author Russell Johnson, an assistant professor of management, tells Yahoo Shine. "We chose to study 9 p.m. because studies show that most people fall asleep anywhere between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m."


Interestingly, when compared to people who engaged in other stimulating activities, such as watching "excessive" amounts of television before bed (two hours of viewing or more), those who used their phones slept the worst. "Smartphones are the most disruptive gadgets because they're portable, so people can place them close by, under the pillow or on the nightstand. And unlike laptops, smartphones beep and light up so they're more distracting and tempting," says Johnson. Another reason not to do a final check of your email before bed: Smartphones emit a blue light that Johnson says is the most stimulating of all colors because it inhibits the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing chemical.
It's not just your phone that's the problem. Check out a few other ways you might be sabotaging your sleep.


You smoked a cigarette: Bad news for people who light up. Smoking before bedtime disrupts sleep patterns, according to a study published in Chest, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. That's because smokers spend more time in "light sleep" mode, not REM sleep, since nicotine triggers the release of stimulating chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. Study subjects who smoked before bed also reported feeling less rested the next day. If you can quit, great; if not, at least light up a few hours before bed.

 We're all for falling asleep
the natural way, so we found eight foods that will help you sleep
better. Beyond the list below, look out for foods that include
magnesium, protein, carbohydrates, dairy and tryptophan. Sleep well!

 Oatmeal: Between oatmeal
being warm and mainly consisting of carbohydrates, it's the perfect
before bedtime snack to put you to sleep. Magnesium rich foods promote
sleep, and consuming too little magnesium can make it harder to fall
asleep.

 Bananas: With magnesium and
potassium, bananas help to relax muscles and trigger melatonin
production to help you fall asleep quickly. Bonus point for bananas:
Because they relax muscles, they'll also help with cramps during that
time of the month.

 Fish: Containing vitamin B6,
fish helps to produce melatonin, which helps you sleep. Go for cod or
salmon in particular, but most fish will help you sleep at night.

 Almonds: Because of the high
magnesium, almonds promote sleep and muscle relaxation. Plus, the
protein in almonds stabilizes blood sugar while sleeping, so you're
likely to not only fall asleep more easily, but also to sleep more
soundly.

 Spinach: High in magnesium,
potassium and calcium, which promotes healthy sleep, spinach is a
fabulous leafy green to work into your diet for better sleep patterns.
If you don't particularly care for spinach, go for another leafy green
vegetable like kale.

 Hard Boiled Egg: Packed with
protein, hard boiled eggs with stabilize blood sugar to give you a full
night's sleep without interruption. At the beginning of the week, hard
boil 5 eggs or so and refrigerate so that you can have a bedtime snack
ready for every night of the week.

 Cherries: Though it's better
to drink cherry juice, eating a cup of cherries before bed also helps
to put you to sleep because of the naturally high melatonin index in the
fruit.

 Jasmine Rice: WIth a high
glycemic index, Jasmine rice helps to trigger insulin, so the ratio of
tryptophan to amino acid in the blood is higher, and the tryptophan aids
in sleep. Switch out the white rice at dinner for Jasmine rice instead.

 Your bra is too tight: Some women prefer the support of a bra in bed, but wearing a tight bra that cuts into the rib cage or shoulders can mess up your sleep, according to a Japanese study. Researchers found that tight garments interfere with circadian rhythms (in simple terms, the sleep cycle), resulting in increased body temperature and decreased melatonin levels, two of sleep's worst enemies. 

You ate grilled chicken for dinner: While a protein-rich meal or snack is good for your health, it's actually bad for your sleep, because digesting protein is labor-intensive and often too difficult for the body to pull off during sleep mode. For a peaceful sleep, opt for a starchy carb-rich snack such as cereal or crackers before bed instead. One small Australian study found that carbs spike levels of blood sugar, causing people to fall asleep faster, especially if they've eaten within four hours of bedtime.