Are you obsessed with getting better sleep? If you’re not, you probably should be, considering  it’s essential for survival and all. The key to bettering your sleep hygiene is to find what works for you. Still, it can be a challenge to cut through the noise and the many sleep-related myths you’re not sure have any weight behind them. Here, discover the surprising truths (and half-truths) about some of the popular rumors you’ve probably heard about sleep, from training your body to need less to the effects of exercising before bed.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not meant to replace professional medical advice.

Myth: You can train your body to need less sleep

We often hear about notable artists, speakers, and politicians who cut their sleep time down to six hours or less and are still able to accomplish all the things that made them noteworthy. While there have been some experts who promote training yourself to function on less sleep, that’s not the same as needing less. Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should. Most of us still need to make sleep a priority (or at least try to). Understandably, not everyone’s lifestyles — work schedules, especially — make it easy to get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep, but hoping to thrive on any less is a pipe dream, and may cause larger health issues. 

Myth: Taking melatonin can’t help you fall asleep

Melatonin, a hormone your body naturally produces, works with your circadian rhythm to signal your brain that it’s time to sleep. But your circadian rhythm is sensitive, so even though one all-nighter might feel like nothing, the natural sleep-wake can be thrown off. This is when a melatonin supplement can help. What people often get wrong about melatonin is that, while it is a sleep aid, it is not a prescription to address insomnia. Supplemental melatonin can assist when you’re having difficulty building a bedtime schedule. Melatonin (both the kind your body naturally creates and supplemental) doesn’t knock you out like a sleeping pill might, but it can offer sleep-inducing effects when you occasionally have trouble falling or staying asleep. Most supplement options come in the form of a capsule or gummy, like the Natrol Melatonin Sleep Aid Gummies*, which use 10 mg of non-habit forming melatonin to support sleep when you need an extra hand. Think of it as an accessory — not a cure-all for sleep deprivation. Melatonin’s job is to prepare your body for sleep, similar to avoiding blue light or creating a dark environment to promote sleepiness. Always consult your doctor before adding a sleeping aid into your routine — not every supplement may fit your lifestyle (or mesh with your current prescriptions).  

Myth: You can “catch up” on sleep over the weekend

This claim has been up for debate for years, and the verdict continues to swing the pendulum, but the longest held belief is that, no, you can’t “pay back” your sleep debt by “catching up” on a day off. That isn’t to say that there aren’t some benefits to sleeping in when you can, but this kind of erratic sleep schedule may not be the most beneficial as a long-term plan. While catching a few extra hours on a Sunday morning may be effective in some ways (e.g., alleviating daytime sleepiness), it won’t necessarily erase the other long-term side effects of sleep deprivation. Why? If you’re struggling with sleep, you’re most likely getting less than you need nightly, which would be physically impossible to make up with a few extra hours once a week. Investing in a steady sleep schedule during the week is worthwhile, but a mid-day nap is a fail-safe option if you’re feeling tired, even after at least seven hours of sleep. Still, for as helpful as a well-timed nap can be, they aren’t a replacement for the sleep you lost the night before.

Myth: Exercising can affect your sleep hygiene

Maybe you’ve heard working out before bedtime is bad for your sleep hygiene, but there isn’t enough evidence to prove it’s a habit you should quit just yet. In fact, since exercise has been shown to release endorphins (the happy hormone), it may moderately improve your sleep quality. Since stress is often linked to sleep deprivation, there’s probably more harm in giving up that nightly yoga than keeping it in your routine. Scientists don’t fully understand the direct link between sleep and exercise (not everyone sees the same effects on their sleep quality), but according to research collected in 2023 by Cureus  some studies suggest it can help you fall asleep faster. The jury is still out on this one but working up a sweat after the sun sets probably isn’t always the culprit in a bad night’s sleep. 

Myth: If you can’t fall asleep, stay in bed

Tossing and turning in bed might make you associate it with stress — in which case, it’s time to get up and move. Instead of sitting in a shame spiral because you can’t stay asleep (or even fall asleep), you’re better off getting out of bed and trying a relaxing activity elsewhere: on your couch, at the kitchen table, on the floor, wherever you’re comfortable. Train your brain to relax before you get into bed by reading in dim lighting, meditating to soothing music, or brewing a warm cup of caffeine-free tea. If you end up finding an activity that chills you out enough to feel sleepy again, try incorporating it into your nightly routine moving forward. The goal is to start associating your bed with sleep — not wakefulness.

^*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

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