Debunking 10 Popular Sleep Myths with Netflix's Headspace Guide to Sleep

The new Netflix series Headspace Guide to Sleep, created in partnership with the well-known meditation app, delves into the various aspects of sleep and provides exercises designed to help viewers connect mind and body for a better night’s sleep.

“Stress is one of the biggest obstacles to sleep, whether it’s trouble falling asleep or waking up during the night,” says Eve Lewis Prieto, Headspace's meditation director and narrator of the series, in an interview with Mental Floss. “When we’re stressed, our fight-or-flight response kicks in. Hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released, keeping us alert and preventing sleep.”

Meditation’s deep breathing promotes a sense of calm and signals to the brain that it's time to relax. Just five minutes of this practice can significantly improve sleep quality.

Lack of sleep can increase the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease, while reliance on sleep medications, particularly prescription ones, can lead to dependency and other long-term health consequences. Headspace aims to provide a different approach. “We’re not claiming that meditation is the only solution, but it could serve as a supplementary tool to help reduce reliance on sleep medications or complement existing strategies for addressing sleep issues,” says Lewis Prieto.

She clarified several common myths about sleep and meditation and offered 10 tips for achieving optimal sleep.

1. It’s not necessary to get exactly eight hours of sleep.

Many of us have been conditioned to think that adults need eight hours of sleep every night. However, the series suggests that this figure is more of an average than a strict target, noting that the ideal sleep duration for adults typically falls between seven and nine hours. This range varies by individual and may change throughout life. Moreover, getting excessive sleep—more than nine hours—has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health concerns. Pay attention to your body to determine how much sleep it requires.

“A lot of us spend much of our time in ‘doing’ mode, so learning to tune into what’s happening in our body is one of the best ways to understand its needs,” says Lewis Prieto.

2. Give priority to a regular wake-up time rather than the number of hours you sleep.

“Sticking to a consistent wake-up time, even on weekends, is far more beneficial than trying to hit a specific number of hours [of sleep],” says Lewis Prieto. This is due to your body’s circadian rhythm, “which helps regulate the transition from day to night, or vice versa. It’s okay to catch up on sleep every now and then, but if you constantly fluctuate between different waking and sleeping schedules, it will strain your body. In fact, it can leave you feeling more exhausted because your body won’t know what to expect,” she explains.

3. Headspace doesn't strictly forbid technology in the bedroom at bedtime.

The negative impact of blue light emitted from screens on sleep, particularly its ability to reduce melatonin levels, has been widely discussed. Although avoiding blue light may be impossible, there are strategies to mitigate its disruptive effects on sleep. Lewis Prieto suggests, "It's more about how we can adapt technology in a positive way."

To avoid the urge to check your phone or respond to messages before bed, disable notifications. Take advantage of night mode, and try replacing your e-reader with a physical book. If watching TV is part of your bedtime routine, ensure you've taken a proper break from screens earlier in the day. "It's more just recognizing, have you had a break from technology? Would it be worth taking half an hour to wind down? Maybe having a bath, shower, or listening to relaxing music," says the expert. "Technology isn't bad. It's our relationship and the use of it that can sometimes be a problem."

When consumed at the right times, alcohol and caffeine don't necessarily have to disrupt your sleep.

Though alcoholic drinks like cocktails, beer, or wine might help some people fall asleep faster due to their sedative properties, they can interfere with the quality of your sleep by suppressing REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is crucial for emotional well-being and memory consolidation. Additionally, alcohol can increase snoring. However, enjoying a drink is still possible if you avoid consuming alcohol at least two hours before bed to allow your body to process it and minimize sleep disruption.

Caffeine stays in the system longer than alcohol, so it's recommended to limit your intake to two to three cups per day before 5 p.m. The series warns, "It may become problematic if you drink more or later than that."

Exercising in the evening can actually be beneficial for sleep.

"For most healthy people, working out at night doesn't negatively affect sleep," says Lewis Prieto in the series. "It may even help you fall asleep more easily and enjoy a longer period of deep sleep." However, avoid intense exercise within an hour of bedtime to allow your body temperature to cool down and your heart rate to normalize.

Taking a nap won't disrupt your sleep schedule.

Napping is fine, as long as you keep it to 30 minutes or less. "If I start to feel a bit tired during the day, I'll go and have a nap," says Lewis Prieto in an interview with Mental Floss. "That's, again, about listening to my body."

Meditation doesn't need to be reserved for bedtime to improve sleep quality.

In fact, "meditation done in the morning before you start your day can really help set the tone for the day," says Lewis Prieto. "So when you do get to bed, you haven't carried that sense of worrying or uncertainty with you." She acknowledges that everyone experiences stress throughout the day, but meditation can shift our perspective on those stressful moments as they occur.

Lewis Prieto suggests staying consistent with the time and place for your meditation practice to enhance its effectiveness. "When you're first starting, it's far more beneficial to think about a regular time, and that doesn't need to be really long; it can be as little as five or 10 minutes," she explains. "It doesn't need to be every day—maybe it's every other day, maybe it's two or three times a week—but it's far more useful to find that same time, however often you're doing it, in the same place."

You don’t have to fully clear your mind during meditation for it to be relaxing.

Many people new to meditation, including Lewis Prieto at the start, believe they need to completely shut off their minds to relieve stress. "When you try to do that it feels like there's more thoughts than ever, and often you feel like you're not doing it right. Then a lot of doubt starts to creep in," she explains. "With meditation, we're doing the opposite of that."

Lewis Prieto clarifies that meditation is meant to raise awareness of the thoughts passing through your mind, creating "a little bit of space between us and the thoughts." Over time, this process helps recalibrate the stress response that triggers the fight-or-flight reaction. "As a result," she says, "you tend to experience a greater sense of calm and spaciousness in the mind-body," which sets the stage for better sleep.

If you can't sleep, it's actually best to get out of bed.

Trying to force yourself to sleep activates the fight or flight response, which will only keep you more awake.

Be patient and only get into bed when you're genuinely tired, allowing your brain to adjust to sleep. If sleep doesn't come, Headspace Guide to Sleep suggests leaving your bed and engaging in a quiet activity until you feel sleepy again. Listening to calming music can also help reduce cortisol, the stress hormone.

Lewis Prieto also suggests practicing visualization, where you imagine a relaxing image or scene, which can have a calming effect.

Insomnia feels different for everyone.

The series emphasizes that insomnia, which is defined as "sleeplessness lasting from a few days to a few weeks," affects people in various ways, as we all have different ideas of what makes a "good night’s sleep." Stress and life events, like the loss of a loved one, can trigger insomnia, and research from Washington University in St. Louis has found that some types of insomnia may be genetic.

"If we're not getting that restorative REM sleep, not only is the body not regenerating properly overnight, but we also lack the energy and capability to handle tough situations," says Lewis Prieto. "But you're not alone in struggling with sleep, and there are things you can do, with mindfulness being one of them."

Headspace Guide to Sleep is now available for streaming on Netflix.