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You need eight hours of sleep -

While this golden rule might work for some, the fact is that the amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, and also across different life stages. The key is to know how much your sleep impacts you during the day.

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Cheese before bed gives you nightmares -

Eating a meal, especially a large one, just before bed will likely impact your ability to sleep properly due to digestion. However, there’s no evidence to suggest that cheese on its own will give you nightmares.

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An afternoon nap is good for you -

If you work in alternating shift patterns, then napping can be good for you. However, for people who don't, it's important to work up the tiredness during the day and sleep properly throughout the night. But if you do nap, make sure it's only 15 to 20 minutes.

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Listening to waterfalls or white noise helps you sleep -

This is a subjective one. For some, absolute silence is required to sleep, and for others, a certain level of background noise is needed.

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Lavender helps you sleep -

While lavender works as an anxiolytic (an anxiety reliever) and as a sedative to increase relaxation, it doesn't contain any sleep-inducing properties in itself.

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Sleeping with a light on is harmless -

Even if your eyes are closed, low light can increase the risk of awakenings and may have negative effects on circadian rhythm.

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Renew your mattress every two years -

While new mattresses have shown to lead to an extra hour of sleep, you don't need to renew them so often. In fact, most recommendations are between six and eight years.

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Sleeping in on the weekend is bad for your sleep cycle -

Sleeping in is a lovely thing that won't do you any harm as long as you don't overdo it. However, try to keep a good routine, and go to bed when you're sleepy.

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Counting sheep helps you fall asleep -

A famous myth, experts at Oxford University put this theory to the test, and found that it doesn't work. People in the study who counted sheep took 20 minutes longer to fall asleep than those who were asked to think of calming images, such as a beach.

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A shower before bed helps you sleep -

A shower is a great way to feel relaxed and clean in the evening before bedtime. However, there's limited evidence to support that it actually helps you sleep.

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Alcohol helps you sleep better -

While a drink or two can feel relaxing, the truth is the quality of sleep declines considerably after drinking alcohol. Also, alcohol directly reduces REM sleep, which is vital for memory and emotional processing.

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A warmer bedroom is best for sleeping -

A cooler sleeping environment, with a temperature between 65 and 70°F (18 and 21°C), is actually what's recommended. Anything higher can create a hot, stuffy atmosphere that can lead to poor sleep.

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It doesn’t matter when you sleep, as long as you get the hours in -

Totally untrue. Studies show that sleeping through the night is much better than regularly catching up during the day.

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It's possible to function with just five hours of sleep -

While some individuals do seem to cope with less sleep, the vast majority of people need more. A shorter sleep duration is also associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

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Older adults need less sleep -

Aging can affect a person’s circadian rhythm and make it harder for them to sleep as long. However, they still need just as much sleep.

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Watching TV can help get ready you for sleep -

For many, watching TV, or going on our phones or computers, is a common way to wind down before sleep. But it actually has the opposite effect on us. Instead, try reading a book or listening to music.

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Drinking a glass of milk before bed will put you to sleep -

You may have been given a glass of warm milk when you were a child to help you go to sleep. However, there's no evidence that it actually helps.

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If you wake up in the middle of the night, don't get out of bed -

If you wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time falling back asleep, don't be afraid to get out of bed. Go to some other room and do something calming, such as reading.

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You can catch up on sleep -

Catching up on a missed hour here or there is doable. But if you're actually sleep-deprived, then pulling a sleep marathon isn’t going to help. It might actually leave you feeling worse.

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Hitting snooze provides meaningful extra rest -

You might think the snooze button may provide you with precious sleeping minutes, but it doesn't. Fragmented sleep is generally not restorative, so you won't wake up more refreshed.

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More sleep is always better -

Getting over nine hours of sleep every night isn't something to actually celebrate. Oversleeping is linked to major health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and depression. It can also cause headaches, and might result in weight gain.

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Your brain shuts down during sleep -

On the contrary, your brain actually remains active during sleep. It shifts in brain activity, which is believed to be part of why sleep is critical to effective thinking, memory, and emotional processing.

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Hanging out in bed before bedtime helps you get ready to sleep -

According to Harvard health experts, hanging out in bed won't get you ready to sleep. That’s because associating non-sleep activities with bed can make sleeping harder.

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There are bad sleepers -

While some are blessed with stronger sleep systems, everyone still has the ability to sleep well. You simply need to learn how to let your body do what it’s naturally built for. This involves committing to helpful habits both during the day and in the evenings.

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Exercise before bed is good -

Exercising intensely when leading up to bedtime could be impacting your ability to sleep properly. This is because your body and brain remain active for a few hours after you've stopped exercising. Consider doing intense training earlier in the day if it's disrupting your sleep.

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Snoring is harmless -

Occasional light snoring may be harmless, but consistent loud snoring is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (ONS). This is a condition where people experience pauses in breathing or shallow breathing during sleep. If you experience this, speak to a doctor.

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If you can't sleep, then you must try harder -

Instead of getting frustrated, focus on becoming less reactive and concentrate on relaxing. For example, meditation can induce a state of relaxation, which helps you slip into slumber.

See also: Why you keep waking up in the middle of the night

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