Sleep explained: what influences your sleep without you noticing
Many habits feel harmless or even helpful, yet they can have a significant impact on your sleep without you realising it. A drink before bedtime, a cup of coffee after dinner, or the idea that snoring is “just part of it”.
On this page, we share insights from the Tuur® podcast about what disrupts sleep, what supports sleep, and how your body recovers during the night.
A nightcap before bed: smart or not?
A glass of alcohol before going to sleep may feel relaxing. And yes, it can help you fall asleep faster.
But as explained in the podcast:
- Alcohol disrupts deep sleep
- REM sleep is suppressed
- You wake up more often during the night
The result:
less deep, restorative sleep, waking up tired and the feeling of “having slept, but not feeling rested”
A nightcap therefore does not help you sleep better—quite the opposite.
Caffeine: why that evening coffee does more than you think
Caffeine is one of the biggest disruptors of sleep. Not only because it keeps you awake, but because it remains active in the body for a long time.
In the podcast, this is clearly explained:
- Caffeine can stay active for up to 6 hours
- Its effects accumulate
- The evening is especially sensitive
A coffee after dinner can cause:
more difficulty falling asleep, lighter sleep, and less deep recovery.
The timing of caffeine intake is therefore at least as important as the amount.
What happens in your brain while you sleep?
Sleep is not just rest; it is active recovery.
As explained in the podcast: “It is essentially our own cleaning system.”
Deep sleep is crucial, not just the number of hours.
Recent scientific research shows that:
- The brain is literally flushed clean during the night
- This happens primarily during deep sleep
- Waste products are removed via cerebrospinal fluid
That’s why, after a good night’s sleep, you feel:
- Refreshed
- Clearer
- Mentally sharper
Snoring: harmless sound or warning sign?
Snoring is often seen as annoying, but harmless. Yet it can be a sign that breathing becomes disrupted during the night.
What can happen:
- Brief pauses in breathing
- Micro-awakenings in the brain
- The sleeper often does not notice this themselves
Daytime consequences:
headaches, fatigue, low energy and concentration problems. Especially when snoring increases with age, it is important to stay alert to possible sleep apnoea.
Why you can feel tired, even if you “sleep well”
Many people think:
“I get enough sleep, don’t I?”
But sleep quality is determined by:
- Depth of sleep
- Uninterrupted sleep phases
- Breathing
- What you do during the day and in the evening
Sleep is more than just sleeping. It is an interplay of habits, recovery and support.
Want to understand sleep better?
In the Tuur® podcast, sleep experts take a deeper look at:
- Daily sleep disruptors
- What deep sleep really does
- Why habits have such a strong impact
- How you can better support your sleep
Explore our other topics
Night owls & shift work
Do you only fall asleep late or work shifts, causing sleep to come less naturally? If so, you are likely living against a natural rhythm that differs from the traditional day-night cycle—and discovering what you can take into account makes all the difference.
Sleeping as a (young) parent
As you become a parent, your sleep changes. Not because you suddenly sleep incorrectly, but because nights are more often interrupted and your rhythm becomes less predictable.
Being awake and overthinking
Being awake at night is rarely about too few hours of sleep, but more often about too much tension. By looking differently at sleep quality and overthinking, space is created for more calm during the night.