sleep SCHOOL

THE FIVE WORST SLEEP MISTAKES

Here's what to avoid before bed:

1. TV TOO CLOSE TO BEDTIME. The light and the content are both incredibly alerting.

2. NAPPING. The need for sleep builds over the day and should peak right around when you go to bed at night. Naps dissipate this momentum.

3. A NIGHTCAP. Drinking alcohol makes you much more likely to wake up multiple times during the night.

4. PETS IN THE BEDROOM. Dogs snore, and cats prowl.

5. OVERSLEEPING. Not everyone needs eight hours—the range is huge—from four to 11 hours. Consider how much you tend to sleep at the end of a long vacation. Then see what happens if you get that much sleep. If you wake up just before your alarm goes off, that's your magic number.