Here, check out seven of the most common sleep myths, plus straight-from-the-sleep-science-expert’s facts to up your odds of getting a great night’s rest.

There are many common myths about sleep. We hear them frequently, and may even experience them far too often. Sometimes they can be characterised as "old wife’s tales," but there are other times the incorrect information can be serious and even dangerous.

1. Snoring is a common problem, especially among men, but it isn’t harmful.

Although snoring may be harmless for most people, it can be a symptom of a life threatening sleep disorder called sleep apnea, especially if it is accompanied by severe daytime sleepiness. Sleep apnea is characterised by pauses in breathing that prevent air from flowing into or out of a sleeping person’s airways. People with sleep apnea awaken frequently during the night gasping for breath. The breathing pauses reduce blood oxygen levels, can strain the heart and cardiovascular system, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Snoring on a frequent or regular basis has been directly associated with hypertension. Obesity and a large neck can contribute to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be treated; men and women who snore loudly, especially if pauses in the snoring are noted, should consult a physician.

2. You can "cheat" on the amount of sleep you get.

Sleep experts say most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimum performance, health and safety. When we don't get adequate sleep, we accumulate a sleep debt that can be difficult to "pay back" if it becomes too big. The resulting sleep deprivation has been linked to health problems such as obesity and high blood pressure, negative mood and behaviour, decreased productivity, and safety issues in the home, on the job, and on the road.

3. The older you get, the fewer hours of sleep you need.

Sleep experts recommend a range of seven to nine hours of sleep for the average adult. While sleep age, the amount of sleep we need generally does not. Older people may wake more frequently through the night and may actually get less night time sleep, but their sleep need is no less than younger adults. Because they may sleep less during the night, older people tend to sleep more during the day. Naps planned as part of a regular daily routine can be useful in promoting wakefulness after the person awakens.

4. During sleep, your brain rests.

The body rests during sleep, however, the brain remains active, gets "recharged," and still controls many body functions including breathing. When we sleep, we typically drift between two sleep states, REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM, in 90-minute cycles. Non-REM sleep has four stages with distinct features, ranging from stage one drowsiness, when one can be easily awakened, to "deep sleep" stages three and four, when awakenings are more difficult and where the most positive and restorative effects of sleep occur. However, even in the deepest non-REM sleep, our minds can still process information. REM sleep is an active sleep where dreams occur, breathing and heart rate increase and become irregular, muscles relax and eyes move back and forth under the eyelids.

4. Working out at night will make it harder to fall asleep.

Wrong again. First of all, it’s well known that exercisers sleep better than couch potatoes. And while conventional wisdom says sweating it out close to bedtime can cause you to feel wired up when you hit the sack, newer research suggests otherwise.

The key might just be keeping up the intensity. In a study of 52 young adults, participants who went to sleep an hour and a half after a vigorous exercise session slept more deeply and awoke fewer time during the night than moderate exercisers.

Still not convinced? Give it a try and see how you feel..) Only 3% of adults say exercising within 4 hours of bedtime causes them to sleep worse, found a 2013 National Sleep Foundation poll.

5. A nightcap will help you snooze better.

True, a post-dinner cocktail might help you doze off when your head hits the pillow. But don’t be surprised if you wake up feeling groggy the next morning.

A recent review of 27 studies published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research concluded that alcohol reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep—the deep, restorative sleep that occurs while we dream.

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

Having a bedtime routine can help you unwind from the day’s craziness, making it easier to nod off. But it shouldn’t involve spending tons of time doing activities like reading, watching TV, or catching up in emails in your actual bed.

That’s because associating non-sleep activities with bed can make sleep harder to come by. Instead, use your bed only for sleeping and having sex, and do other stuff elsewhere, recommend Harvard health experts.

If you can’t fall asleep after 15 or 20 minutes, get out of bed and go do something quiet, like reading, until you start to feel drowsy.

What sleep myths have you fallen for? Did you sleep better after you learned the facts?

March 15th, 2019 is World Sleep Day.

To kick things off, here is the results from a survey of the 100 best sleepers on WHOOP about the things they do to make the most of their time in bed. WHOOP’s analytics team filtered through millions of hours of sleep data to find the WHOOP members with the best sleep efficiency (percentage of time in bed spent actually sleeping), sleep consistency (going to bed and waking up at consistent times each day), and overall sleep performances (amount of sleep each night vs. amount sleep needed) over the past three months.

For example, 66% of them drink some kind of caffeinated beverage in the morning nearly every day. The vast majority (74%) almost always go without caffeine in the afternoon as well.

Just like the rest of us, 70% of our top sleepers use an alarm clock to wake up either most or all of the time. And while some of our top sleepers do take supplements to help them out, including ZMA, CBD, Melatonin and herbal teas, 42% of them do it the old-fashioned way and attain peak sleep without ever using supplements.

One thing they all seem to agree on, alcohol is detrimental to sleep. While we didn’t inquire about alcohol directly, we asked the survey takers to write in what they believe most harms their sleep--30% mentioned alcohol consumption.

Many of the other things the top 100 sleepers are doing are also very simple changes for others to make. Below is their full list of tips for sleeping better, broken down into six helpful categories. Hopefully you’ll find these useful in improving your own sleep!

SLEEP HYGIENE TIPS: CREATE AN IDEAL SLEEP ENVIRONMENT

· Deep breathing, a quiet, dark room and a weighted blanket.

· Get a great mattress/pillow that you always feel comfortable on!

· I'm a side sleeper so I use an extra pillow to help ensure I'm 100% comfortable, invested in a contoured neck pillow for this same reason.

· A VERY COLD room with a nice blanket.

· Dark room empty bladder, peace and quiet.

NIGHT TIME: BEHAVIOURS AND ACTIVITIES

· Winding down to lower my heart rate is key.

· Taking a bath every single evening and putting my mind at ease.

· Warm shower or heating pad before bed.

· Making sure I leave enough time for sleep and to relax for at least an hour before bed.

· I set a reminder for myself an hour before I want to go to bed, so I can start focusing on the things that help me get ready for quality sleep and helps me from staying up too late.

· Work out hard.

· Stretch for 5 minutes right before bed.

· I make a list of what to do the next day for my work/life responsibilities in-order to not stress about the next day.

· Meditative breathing.

· Do not spend extended time looking at screens. I can't cut it off completely as I still need to check my phone, but I don't start a show or movie after 9 pm.

PRE-BED TIPS: LOCK IN YOUR ROUTINE

· No matter what is happening, I make sure to get in the bed within the same time frame every night.

· I always read before bed - whether it's 15 minutes or an hour, I find reading helps me wind down, keeps me off of my phone/electronic devices, and gives my brain an escape from the stress of my day.

· Turning off television by 9pm and allowing myself an hour for my bedtime routine: shower, prep for next day’s activities, keeping bedroom cool and dark.

· I start to wind down about an hour prior to my bedtime.

DAY TIME: BEHAVIOURS AND ACTIVITIES

· Waking up naturally.

· Daily routines to ensure my ability to go to bed early because I'm an early riser. My morning routine is always solid and doesn't change, so going to bed early ensures I maximise my time in bed and sleep quality.

· Make sure I’m tired from physical exertion during the day.

· Reducing stress in my life and prioritising recovery.

· Get up at least 3 hours before I go to work.

SUPPLEMENT AND NUTRITION TIPS: IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY WITH DIET

· Eat quality carbs before bed. Limit liquid consumption.

· Zinc and Magnesium every afternoon/night.

· Hydration, book reading, chamomile tea.

· Sometimes I will use a turmeric based tea before bed.

· I get all my meal prep for the next day done, make sure I eat all my meals on time, and make sure I have the adequate time to wind down and stick to my bedtime routine stress free.

Fact or Fiction: Sleep myths