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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Lifestyle
Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz & Cian O'Broin

Expert shares the substance that is ruining your night's sleep and it's not caffeine

There are many tried and tested home remedies when it comes to helping someone who finds it difficult to fall asleep.

Many experts claim eating kiwis before bed or leaving the window ajar can make a small bit of difference.

There are many deterrents to sleep, with one of the most widely known being avoiding caffeine – however there is one thing that may be even more pressing that is overlooked, The Mirror reported.

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Beer or wine may help you nod off, however it could be hindering that deep and healthy sleep.

Sleep specialists at Bed Kingdom have outlined some potential causes of insomnia, with one being both alcohol and nicotine use.

They say: "While alcohol can often make you fall asleep faster, drinking it close to bedtime can cause fragmented sleep and can be the cause of frequent waking throughout the night.

"Studies have found that drinking alcohol within four hours of bedtime can negatively affect sleep continuity and duration, leading to longer 'wake after sleep onset' (WASO), where you wake up during the night and struggle to get back to sleep."

They recommend having your last drink no sooner than four hours before you go to sleep.

Experiments have shown that having nicotine before bed will impact your sleep.

They said: "Caffeine works by blocking the effects of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that naturally builds up in the body during the day and creates pressure to sleep."

A National Library of Medicine published study said caffeine was found to have a half-life of five hours in healthy individuals – meaning it can take around five hours for half of the caffeine to exit your body.

The sleep experts added: "While it may sound extreme, if you are having trouble drifting off in the evening, consider cutting off caffeine eight to 12 hours before your bedtime.

"If you typically go to bed at 11pm, this could mean having your last caffeinated drink at around 1pm in the afternoon and opting for decaffeinated options for the remainder of the day."

They recommend you make an appointment to see your GP if insomnia is impacting your life.

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