FRIDAY, July 24, 2009 (HealthDay News) -- Bad bedtime habits can keep you up at night and cause problems during the day, says the head of a Texas sleep study facility.
Stress, worry, caffeine, alcohol and watching TV in bed -- factors known as "poor sleep hygiene" -- are the major reasons why people can't shut down their bodies when it's time for sleep, explained Dr. Sunil Mathews, medical director of the Sleep Center at Baylor Medical Center at Irving, Texas. Poor sleep hygiene can also lead to taking sleep-aid medications that could interfere with alertness the next day, he said.
A recent National Sleep Foundation poll found that 47 percent of people with sleep problems were likely to use caffeinated beverages to compensate for their daytime sleepiness, but these stimulants contribute to more difficulties sleeping.
"Insomnia can turn into a vicious cycle," he said in a news release from the medical center.
To develop good sleep hygiene, Mathews recommends the following:
More information
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about insomnia.