Many Americans have common and widely accepted notions about sleep that they spread and advise to friends or family. However, a new study shows that most of these shared beliefs are not based in science.
Rebecca Robbins, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone, has spent her career studying sleep. In a recent study, Dr. Robbins debunks 20 of the most common myths about sleep and explains what people really need for good sleep hygiene.
Speaking with CNN about these myths, Dr. Robbins explains how many people assume that snoring, although annoying, is mostly innocuous. But this is potentially harmful as loud snoring is actually a warning sign of sleep apnea—a dangerous sleep disorder that starts and stops your breathing.
On sleep as a whole, Dr. Robbins says, “Sleep is crucial, actually, in restoring the body and is in fact the most efficient, effective way to do so.”
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