Sleep Experts Debunk 15 Sleep Myths

Rebecca Robbins: All right.

"Many adults need five hours of sleep or less."

Now, this is a myth.

"Loud snoring is annoying but mostly harmless."

David Rapoport: Loud snoring is actually a sign

that there is a blockage in your throat.

Robbins: "Your brain and body

will adapt to less sleep."

This is a myth.

I'm Dr. Rebecca Robbins.

I'm a postdoctoral research fellow

at the Brigham and Women's Hospital

and Harvard Medical School.

Rapoport: And I'm Dr. David Rapoport.

I'm a professor of medicine

at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,

and I run the research program in sleep.

Robbins: And we're here today to debunk

some of the most common myths about our sleep.

"Watching TV in bed is a

good way to relax before sleep."

Now, this is not something

that we would necessarily recommend.

If you turn the television on and if it's close to you,

that's a source of bright-blue light.

So, bright light is one of the strongest cues

to our circadian rhythm.

It kick-starts our body and our brain

to become awake and alert in the morning.

It's called a zeitgeber,

the strongest input to that circadian,

the awake phase of our rhythm.

Rapoport: "Drinking booze before bed

will improve your sleep."

So, this is a very commonly used tactic

for people who have trouble sleeping,

and they have a drink.

It's a drug.

It's very much like a sleeping pill.