Sleep expert debunks the top 10 myths around getting a good nights rest.

Recent studies have found that at least one-third of the Australian adult population regularly suffers from significant sleep problems, which can lead to a raft of illnesses, including diabetes and depression.

But many of the things we know about sleep are completely wrong, according to UK sleep and insomnia expert Dr. Tania Ahern.

This month is National Bed Month, and Dr. Ahern has teamed up with Drift Sleep, maker of mattresses with natural surfaces, to explain the truth behind the top 10 sleep myths.

“We all want to sleep well and get up ready for the day ahead and in our quest to do so over the years we’ve created so many myths,” she said.

“We wanted to share these with people so they can stop worrying about unnecessary problems and focus on fixing the underlying problem.”

1. Taking sleeping tablets ensures a good night’s sleep.

Studies have shown that sleeping tablets increase total sleep time on average by just 25 minutes. Although they induce sleep more quickly, the amnesiac effect means that you are less likely to remember waking up during the night and long-term use can impact on your general health.

2. A nightcap will help me drift off

Although alcohol will make you sleep more quickly, it also has significant negative effect on sleep quantity and quality.

A nightcap, like a Whiskey cocktail, won't give you a better sleep.Source:istock

In the first half of the night it brings on deep sleep but suppresses REM (dream) sleep. Once the alcohol has worn off, there is a ‘rebound effect’ with more episodes of wakefulness and lighter sleep.

3. I can make up for lost sleep at the weekend

Two-thirds of the population go to bed later and sleep in at weekends but they may be experiencing “social jet lag”.

A change in pattern disrupts the natural rise and fall in body temperature, which in turn delays onset of sleep.

This, in turn, leads to Sunday night insomnia leaving you tired on Monday morning.

4. We all need 8 hours sleep a night

The truth is, everyone’s sleep needs are different. A child needs more sleep than an adult and some people are naturally shorter sleepers than others.

The recommended sleep time for adults is seven hours or more but sleeping for more than nine hours is as bad for you as not getting enough sleep.

5. Teenagers don’t need more sleep — they’re just lazy

Stop nagging! There is scientific evidence that teenagers’ natural sleep rhythms are delayed by hormonal changes that occur during puberty.

Teens aren't lazy, they actually need to sleep more than adults.Source:istock

Therefore their natural sleep tendency is to go to bed later and get up later and they need about nine hours sleep a night.

Schools that have implemented a later start time in the morning have found improvements in academic performance and reduced daytime sleepiness and rates of depression among their teenage peers.

6. A hot bath at bedtime helps us get to sleep

You might like to snuggle up and get cozy in bed, or have a warm bath before turning in, but actually our body temperature needs to drop to get to sleep.

The body’s circadian rhythm, which influences our core body temperature, is closely linked to the sleep-wake cycle. In the evening the heat loss that occurs from our skin promotes sleepiness so a hot bath will prolong the time it takes for the body’s core temperature to drop.

However, a warm bath about one hour before bedtime may well assist the process of heat loss; it is all about timing!

7. Good sleep must be unbroken

Before the invention of the light bulb, ancestors used to sleep in two four hour blocks, getting up for an hour or two to socialise in between, so the desire to sleep in one eight hour block is down to modern living.

A hot bath before bed will prolong the time it takes for the body’s core temperature to drop, which is linked to the sleep-wake cycle.Source:istock

In a recent study eight volunteers were subjected to 14 hours of darkness every day for a month. After a few days, the volunteers’ sleep pattern reverted back to the interrupted two sleep phases, in keeping with historical pattern.

8. Eating cheese late at night can cause nightmares

Certain types of food have been blamed for bad dreams but one study revealed it may be our emotional attitude to food that is to blame.

People with healthy diets and longer intervals between eating tended to have more pleasant and vivid dreams, while those with uncontrolled or emotional eating habits were more likely to have disturbing dreams.

9. Counting sheep gets you to sleep

Sleep scientists have disproved this age-old advice.

In a study undertaken by a team of psychologists at Oxford University, 50 insomniac volunteers were divided into three groups with a different bedtime routine.

If you've tried counting sheep to try and get to sleep, don't both. It doesn't work.Source:istock

The first group counted sheep, the second group imagined a pleasant scene such as a holiday and the third group were left to their own devices.

The group thinking happy thoughts got to sleep 20 minutes earlier than usual while the group counting sheep took 40 minutes longer to get to sleep than usual.

10. I don’t dream

Just because you don’t remember doesn’t mean you didn’t dream.

Research shows we dream about 4 to 6 times every night. Our dreams become longer as sleep progresses, ranging from about 4 minutes in early sleep cycles up to 30 minutes later on.

The ability to recall our dreams depends on which sleep state we wake from, with REM dreams being easier to recall than Non REM dreams.

This article originally appeared on The Sun.