5 sleep mistakes you're probably making

According to sleep specialists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, a laundry list of health effects can harm your body if you don't get enough Zzzs. We're talking about negative effects on memory, productivity, metabolism, as well as your heart, lungs, kidneys ... you get the jist!

So when you do hit the hay for your health's sake, make sure to steer clear of the Huffington Post's most common sleep mistakes:

Falling asleep with the TV on

Snoozing to a flickering TV screen is almost guaranteed to give you a bad night's sleep. The Huffington Post reports that the absence of light triggers the body's natural sleepiness mechanisms to kick in, and exposing yourself to too much light too late in the day can confuse that system. Moreover, "artificial light can actually inhibit the release of melatonin," says Dr. Matthew Mingrone, lead physician for EOS Sleep Centers in California. And that goes for all light-emitting screens — we're looking at you, smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Sleeping late on the weekend

After a long workweek, there is usually nothing better than sleeping in on the weekends! And as tempting as that might sound, experts caution those that oversleep. According to HuffPost, staying up later than usual on Friday and Saturday — and indulging in a little extra morning shut-eye Saturday and Sunday — can throw off your biological clock as if you had traveled cross-country. It's like jet lag from the weekend, yikes! With that said, experts suggest sticking to your regular sleep schedule as much as possible, which means late nights should be followed by mornings, not afternoon wake up calls.

Having a drink to help you sleep

Ever wind down with a few drinks to help you sleep? You may want to try other alternatives to get a good night's rest. While many adults use alcohol as a common "sleep aid," a recent study shows that the effects of drinking might do just the opposite. Consuming alcohol before bed diminishes your quality of sleep, can lead to sleepwalking, and seriously messes with your REM cycle. "It might help you initially get to sleep faster," says Mingrone, "but the quality of sleep is not going to be as good as it would be without it."

Staying in bed when you can't sleep

It's no surprise that lying in your bed, squeezing your eyes shut and willing yourself to snooze isn't exactly the key to falling into a deep and peaceful sleep. In fact, doing that will only make you anxious about the time you're wasting during your eight-hour siesta. "Rather than getting more stressed out about the sleep you're losing, get up and get out of the bedroom," says Mingrone. So next time, instead of counting sheep, try walking over to couch and reading a book for a half hour — that always does the trick for me!

Having a protein-heavy dinner

There's nothing better than steaks on the grill in the summertime, right? But if you're eating late and hitting the sack right after, you may have a hard time snoozing. That could be because protein is harder to digest, and your body isn't meant to be digesting when it's supposed to be asleep, according to Kelly Glazer Baron, Ph.D., M.P.H. Whole grains may help promote sleep, so considering swapping that steak for whole-grain pasta or pizzas.

For the full list, check out huffingtonpost.com.