A short YouTube talk by Dr. Michael Bruce that lists and debunks nine common sleep myths. For each myth he names the underlying fear people have (e.g., "I'm stuck being a poor sleeper," "I'll need eight hours") and provides concise corrections and reassurance about sleep needs and consequences.
Chapters
When it comes to sleep, the Internet is filled with a lot of misleading information that impacts your beliefs about sleep as well as the quality of your sleep. So today we're going to be busting some of those myths. As an example, one of my patients said to me, even if I don't sleep well, I've always been this way and it's okay to sleep less. So what's the real fear here? Their real fear is I'm stuck being a poor sleeper. This is just not true. Everyone can actually learn how to sleep better. You might not have perfect sleep, but everybody can get sleep that's a little bit better. Number two, that I hear all the time, if I continue to not sleep well, I'm going to experience serious health problems. Well, to be honest with you, that's just not true. While sleep does affect immune function, sleep is rarely the sole cause of health issues. Other than when you're so sleep deprived that you fall asleep behind the wheel of a car, all of your symptoms will actually feel worse, but it's probably not going to cause any of them. Big myth number three. I need eight hours of sleep each night to function the next day. What's the real fear here? Lack of sleep is going to lower my productivity in my work and my life. I'm just telling you right now, eight hours is a myth. Everybody needs a different amount of sleep. Myth number four, if I don't get the right amount of sleep, I've got to catch up the next day. What's the real fear here? I've missed my opportunity to get the sleep I need. Usually this is not true. Most of us can function on less than optimal sleep fairly easily. It's not ideal, but don't worry, you can still function. Myth number five, the older I get, the less sleep I need. The real fear here is as I get older, my sleep is just going to get worse and worse and worse. Believe it or not, most older adults do not have a set schedule and often take unscheduled naps. So if you look at their total sleep in a 24 hour cycle, it's about the same as when they were young. Myth number six. When I feel irritable, depressed or anxious during the day, it's mostly because I didn't sleep well the night before. The real fear going on here is my anxiety or irritability is going to affect my relationships with my family, my friends, and my co workers. Sleep deprivation does not cause anxiety. It doesn't cause depression. It can only make it feel worse. Myth number seven. I can't ever predict when I'm going to have a bad night of sleep. The real fear, I'm going to lose control, and I'm never going to be able to get it back. This is simply not true. After this quest, you'll be on a consistent sleep schedule, and you will easily be able to predict your sleep and control it as well. Myth number 8. Alcohol before bed helps you sleep. What's the real fear here? I'll not be able to fall asleep without having a few drinks. First of all, it depends upon how much you drink and when. But remember, there's a really big difference between going to bed and passing out. And we want to be going to bed. Myth number nine. The more time I spend in bed, the more sleep I have a chance to get. The real fear is I will never get the amount of sleep I need. Stop the phones. This is the biggest misconception I hear from people who've got sleeping difficulties. What do I mean by that? Here's what they do. They figure they're not sleeping well, so they creep into bed hours before sleep. And I'm going to teach you why. Because you're not going to bed at the right time. How? That's really not something that you need to be doing. I know there was a lot to go over there. Lots of myths, real underlying fears. Really soak it in. I promise you, you're going to find it's going to be incredibly helpful for you. This is Dr. Michael Bruce, the sleep doctor, wishing you sweet dream sa.
