There’s endless information out there about why sleep is so important to our overall health and wellbeing, and how to get the most out of your rest. But it’s hard to know what’s really true and what’s just hearsay.

Combine that with a global pandemic that’s disrupting everyone’s schedules and routines, all while sprinkling in a major dose of stress. What you’re left with is a whole bunch of people who suddenly all have the same answer to the question: “What keeps you up at night?” And a lot of them—maybe yourself included—might be buying into dubious advice in the hopes of getting a little more rest to cope with it all.

That’s why we dug through the research and spoke to scholars who study this stuff to understand the science, and differentiate between truth (you absolutely need seven to nine hours of sleep a night) and myth (you can power through on four hours with enough coffee).

Here are six misconceptions you need to stop believing about sleep, and what you should actually do to reap the benefits of good, quality rest.

Myth #1: As long as I get enough sleep, bedtime is irrelevant.

“Large day-to-day variations in bedtime and wake time can disturb your intrinsic circadian rhythms [your body clock], leading to suboptimal sleep, which can then affect your regular daytime activities and work productivity,” says Vaishnavi Kundel, M.D., an assistant professor of pulmonary medicine, critical care, and sleep medicine at The Icahn School of Medicine at New York’s Mount Sinai.

How to bust it: Keep to a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.

Yes, you need to hit that seven to nine-hour sweet spot for a good night’s sleep, per the National Sleep Foundation. Yes, you’ll probably have to go to bed earlier than you do now (or would like to—so much TV to binge, so little time) to do that. Your best bet is to commit to a non-negotiable bedtime for a few nights in a row. It’ll be tough, but when you see your performance improve as a result, you’ll likely be more excited to continue with your new routine.

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Myth #2: I can train my body to get used to less sleep.

You might feel like you can, or that your body has adjusted to living on fewer than six hours of sleep per night, but you’re only fooling yourself. Decades of research shows that testosterone levels, brainpower, mood, appetite regulation, immune function, and reaction time all tank with regular sleep deprivation. As a result, the less sleep you get, the greater your risk of crashing your car or developing chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, says Dr. Kundel.

How to bust it: Put sleep on a pedestal.

When you want to get in shape, you prioritize nutrition and your workout routine, right? Well, sleep is just as vital to your overall health and fitness, says Allison Brager, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and performance engineer. So treat sleep like you do those other elements of your regimen. It’s a basic human need.

Myth #3: If I can’t fall asleep, laying in bed until I do is just as good.

Spending time awake in bed thinking about why you’re not falling asleep teaches your brain to believe that your bed is a place to worry—not sleep. Which means every time you get in bed, you might start stressing about not sleeping, says Dr. Kundel. It’s worse if you have insomnia, which can be exacerbated by anxiety.

How to bust it: Only go to bed when you’re truly sleepy.

And please, please, please do not take your phone with you. If you can’t fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes or so, get out of bed and go into another room, avoid bright lights and electronics, and read a book by dim light until you feel ready for bed, suggests Dr. Kundel. Your doctor would call this sleep restriction therapy. You can call it a surefire way to stop worrying and get a good night’s sleep.

Myth #4: If I don’t get enough sleep, I can run on caffeine.

Coffee might help boost your alertness at first. In fact, caffeine quite literally blocks a chemical in your brain called adenosine that makes you sleepy. But log less than five hours of sleep a night for three days straight and caffeine will do you no good, finds a 2017 study published in the journal Sleep.

How to bust it: Drink (your coffee) responsibly

No matter how much sleep you get, dial down your caffeine consumption to 400 mg a day or about four eight-ounce cups, max. That amount has been shown to have health benefits without being too much (and sounds like way more than enough, honestly). Cut yourself off six hours before bedtime to avoid keeping yourself up. If you’re low on sleep for a day, resist the urge to power through using coffee—just call it a night early, let your body get the recovery it needs, and get after it again in the morning.

Myth #5: I can’t make up for lost sleep, so there’s no point in trying.

The research is mixed on sleep banking. Some studies show it does work, especially if you log extra hours before you know you’re going to be sleep-deprived (think: early bedtime for a few days before a music festival weekend). Others show the opposite: Sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday doesn’t help when you’ve already missed out on sleep over the entire workweek, finds one study in Current Biology.

How to bust it: Focus on overall sleep, not just one night.

Zoom out your point of view. Just as one day of poor eating doesn’t completely derail a healthy lifestyle, neither does one night of poor sleep. Your “sleep debt” only accumulates when you don’t get enough shut-eye for days on end, our experts say. So no, you can’t get back the hours you lost last night, but you can maintain good habits for the rest of the week and build on that momentum.

Myth #6: My bedroom decor doesn’t matter—I sleep fine.

A great sleep environment is essential for a good night’s sleep, Brager and Dr. Kundel agree. For one, your body temperature lowers to cue sleep, so adjusting the temperature in the room where you sleep helps facilitate that process, per the National Sleep Foundation.

How to bust it: Create a sleep sanctuary

Build yourself the ultimate sleep-cave. Lower the temperature to 60 to 67 degrees, and turn the TV off and put your phone away to avoid blue light exposure, which can trick your body into thinking it’s daytime. Bright light can disrupt your body clock’s natural wake-sleep cycle, so hang blackout curtains to keep the bedroom dark. And of course, get yourself into a big, comfortable bed you feel truly relaxed in. Can’t remember when you bought your bedding? It’s probably time for a refresh. You deserve it—that’s a hard fact.

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