There are so many reasons that a good night’s sleep is beneficial to our well-being. A recent study found that sleep regularity is a strong indicator of mortality risk. Regular sleep patterns, such as following a consistent bedtime and wakeup time, can improve overall health and survival, according to the new research.

Adults with a regular sleep schedule and sufficient sleep duration had a 39% lower mortality risk than those with an irregular sleep schedule and insufficient sleep duration.

According to Sleep 2024, healthy sleep is characterized by adequate duration, appropriate timing, good quality, regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbance or disorder. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults should sleep 7 or more hours nightly on a regular basis for optimal health, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 1 in 3 U.S. adults report not getting enough sleep or rest every day.

Most of us know that drinking caffeine, eating a large meal, or drinking alcohol before bedtime can interfere with sleep quality, but there are other, less obvious reasons that can also be disruptive.

• Not getting enough natural sunlight during the day. According to Eat This, Not That!, when people stay indoors all day they miss out on natural light exposure that governs sleep as well as digestion, heart health, mood and energy. Experts say that spending time outdoors in the morning and then again later in the afternoon will help stabilize your circadian rhythms and promote better sleep.

• Dozing on the couch. “While it can be tempting to cozy up and nod off during your last Netflix episode, this habit of falling asleep elsewhere impacts sleep quality and quantity,” says Dorsey Standish, a neuroscientist and wellness expert. Napping on the couch in the evening may make it more difficult to fall back asleep after moving to your bed because sleep pressure has been reduced. Standish says it is best to go straight to bed if you feel your eyelids getting heavy.

• Taking a cold shower or cold plunge at night. This refreshing habit increases your internal body temperature which wakes up the body rather than relaxing it for bedtime. Instead, complete your cold shower or plunge in the first half of the day when wakefulness will boost your energy and productivity. In the evening, enjoy a hot bath or shower to help drop your body temperature, priming you for sleep.

• Scanning social media. Engaging in social media before bedtime is a bad habit because it stimulates your nervous system even if you use blue light blockers. “Even passive scrolling on social media promotes cognitive and emotional engagement, due to the combination of unpredictable, often emotional content, and the potential for never-ending scrolling,” says Standish. Instead, if you must look at pictures at night, go through your own camera roll for happy, uplifting memories that are more comforting and predictable.