In honor of Better Sleep Month, Dr. Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute and contributor of Huffington Post Healthy Living, recently debunked some common sleep myths.

Photo Credit: News.com.au via Google Images

Here are Protect-A-Bed’s favorite 5:

1. Myth: Eight hours of sleep is a luxury, not a reality.
   • Truth: Dr. Oexman explains that sleep should not be treated as a luxury, but as a necessity for overall health. Those who get enough sleep look and feel healthier. When one is too fatigued to enjoy life, that’s a serious problem.
2. Myth: Hitting snooze will help one get just enough sleep to feel more energized.
   • Truth: If someone is sleep-deprived, those extra couple minutes of sleep will not help. Dr. Oexman suggests hitting snooze once and using that extra time to stretch and slowly wake, to help one feel more energized.
3.  Myth: Not sleeping through the night? Don’t rely on television or a book to help get back to sleep.
   • Truth: The light from a reading lamp or TV will only keep one up longer at night. Meditation or light stretching in the dark can help people relax until they feel ready for sleep.
4. Myth: Working out before bed time will leave one feeling too “energized” to get to sleep.
   • Truth: Exercising raises people’s body temperatures. A person’s core body temperature must have time to return to normal before they are able to catch a good night’s sleep. Dr. Oexman suggests working out at least four hours before bedtime.
5. Myth: As people get older they don’t need as much sleep.
   • Truth: Research suggests the amount of sleep needed as we age does not change. In some cases, older adults may even need more sleep due to aches, pains and medications that can keep them awake at night.

For more myth debunking and suggestions on catching sleep, read the full article on HuffingtonPost.com.