Sleeping is essential to keep the mind and body healthy; however, as these five myths show, many of us are still managing to get it wrong.

Myth 1
You can catch up on missed sleep at the weekend.

Busted
There’ no catching up. You actually need to maintain a regular sleeping schedule seven days a week.

Myth 2
The older you get the less sleep you need.

Busted
Even adults need at least seven to nine hours of good sleep.

Myth 3
If you wake in the middle of the night you should just lie there and wait for sleep.

Busted
If you can’t get back to sleep within 15 minutes you should get up and try reading. This will help relieve the stress of getting back to sleep.

Myth 4
A glass of wine will help you nod off.

Busted
Wine will help you nod off but you will end up with a fragmented sleep which is not good.

Myth 5
An afternoon nap will disrupt your bedtime.

Busted
A nap can be a good thing once you keep it under 30 minutes and don’t have one too close to bedtime.