Brushing your teeth before bed is a common part of nighttime routines. However, making it the very last thing you do before bed could be the reason why you can't fall asleep within a healthy time frame (around 10-20 minutes is average).
In fact, experts say you shouldn't brush your teeth within less than one hour of going to bed if you want to fall asleep quickly and easily. "It sends a signal to your body that it's not actually time to go to sleep, so we produce more wake-promoting hormones, such as cortisol, to stay awake," explain sleep researcher Hannah Shore, Head of Sleep at MattressOnline.
