Sleep provides lots of benefits for the body. Sleep helps cure stress, improve a person's ability to store information on their brain, it can lower the blood pressure of a person; strengthen a person's immune system and a lot more.

However, too much sleep is bad for the body. To be healthy, a person should get the required hours of sleep. Oversleeping can result in negative effects on the body. Oversleeping can affect the proper functioning of the brain, impairs fertility, result in weight gain, and a lot more.

Everything should be taken in moderation to live a healthy lifestyle. There are also common myths about sleep that may pose threats to the health of a person.

The following are some of the myths about sleep that may pose negative effects on a person's health:

1. Five hours of sleep is enough.

According to Margaret Thatcher (a previous Prime Minister of the UK), she spends four hours of sleep at night. Some other personalities had also shared the same habit. This is a common story for business-related successes.

Many people in the entrepreneurial field had shared that getting a short period of sleep had led them to their success.

However, researchers had stated that sleep myths like sleeping for less than five hours are one of the most health-damaging among all.

According to Rebecca Robbins, numerous evidence prove that sleeping for less than five hours has severe negative effects on a person's health including increasing the chances of acquiring cardiovascular illnesses. To be healthy, she suggests that everyone should get at least seven hours of good night's sleep.

2. Alcohol helps you sleep better.

According to Doctor Robbins, it is true that alcohol may help a person fall asleep. However, it also decreases a person's opportunity to get the required quality of sleep.

Doctor Robbins said that alcohol interrupts a person's REM or rapid eye movement level of sleep. This myth is one of the sleep myths that may negatively affect the REM stage where a person is retaining memory and learned skills.

3. Watching the television while in bed helps a person relax.

According to Doctor Robbins, if someone will be watching the television during the night, there is a high chance that the show will be news. She said that this may cause stress to a person and may cause them to attain insomnia.
Also, smart digital devices and tablets emit blue light that prevents the body to release the right amount of melatonin or the hormone that induces a person to feel sleepy.

4. For difficulties in sleeping, just stay in bed.

According to Doctor Robbins, most people associate insomnia with their beds. She said that a change of environment may help a person fall asleep faster.

She suggested that doing something else like folding clothes may also help a person feel sleepy.

5. Clicking the snooze button to get more sleep.

Doctor Robbins said that it is best to get up from bed when the alarm goes on. The extra couple of minutes a person will get from getting back to sleep after their alarm rings will only result in an insignificant value of sleep.

According to Doctor Robbins, once the alarm goes on, a person may open their curtains and let a good amount of light enter their room to wake them up.

Sleep helps a person recover from the stress and tiredness of the day. It helps renew a person's energy to fully face the challenges of the next day. Getting the right amount and good quality of sleep is important to a person's health though too much of it may also pose threats to a person's well-being. Take note of these sleep myths to improve your lifestyle and health.