Myth: Everyone has to sleep 8 hours
Truth: The proper length of sleep is unique to everyone, yet for most people, the norm is really about 7-8 hours.
Myth: You can coach yourself to sleeping less and getting enough sleep
Truth: You can train yourself to sleep less and get enough sleep. So if your sleep norm is, say, 8 hours, of course you can force yourself to live on a 5-hour sleep schedule and sleep in on the weekends, but it won’t be healthy or beneficial for your body.
Myth: Awakening at night is a sign of poor sleep
Truth: Usually everyone wakes up several times, we just don’t usually remember it. However, a person with insomnia or an anxiety disorder has a harder time falling asleep quickly, so they may finally wake up after waking up at night and remember it.
Myth: Daytime sleepiness is a consequence of poor sleep at night
Truth: Slight drowsiness in the afternoon is normal, it may be a consequence of normal processes in the body.
Myth: Melatonin is the first and best aid for insomnia
Truth: Melatonin, researchers say, influences only falling asleep, but it has no effect on the depth of sleep or the frequency of nighttime awakenings. Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, rather than drugs or supplements, are the very first step for insomnia according to international recommendations, and I talked about the ineffectiveness of medications for insomnia in one of my posts.
