We all want to live long, healthy lives, and are constantly looking for the resources to help us do so. But what about the things out there that may hurt our health that we aren’t even aware of? Things we do on a daily basis may actually be hindering our goal. Here are five surprising things that could endanger your health.

Sleeping on Your Stomach

When you sleep on your stomach, your head is naturally tilted backwards by the pillow, which puts strain and causes pain on the upper extremities of your body. Rather than putting this unnatural stress on your body, it is best to sleep on your back, and the second best position is sleeping on your side.

Your Food

Raw fruits and vegetables are often contaminated during the handling process. While you may trust that the fresh fruits and vegetables are a safe and healthy bet, they may be carrying bacteria. Do a little research and find out how the food manufacturers you buy from process their food. There are many benefits of custom sanitary strainers when it comes to food safety. If food companies fail to use these, your odds of eating contaminated foods are higher.

Crossing Your Legs While Sitting

Crossing your legs while you sit puts strain on your veins, which increases the risk of developing blood clots. Compressed veins in your knees significantly raise your blood pressure. Crossing your legs also puts a lot of stress on hip joints. It is best to sit with your legs relaxed so blood can flow freely.

Nighttime Reading

While reading used to be a great way to help someone fall asleep, the increased use of e-readers has hurt sleep patterns. The exposure to the blue light decreases the production of melatonin in the body and therefore increases insomnia.

Insufficient sleep has been associated with many medical conditions, such as heart disease, dementia, and cancer. Statistics have shown that about half of Americans do not get much sleep, and this is only increasing in this technological age.

Not Going to the Bathroom When You Need to

Your body naturally gives you a signal when you need to use the restroom, and while it is sometimes hard to make it to the bathroom right away, avoid holding your urine for a long time. This could cause urinary tract infections, especially in women.

It is important to be aware of these everyday dangers to our health in order to avoid them as much as possible. Often times it’s the little habits we are accustomed to that can have the biggest damage on our body. While we may not be able to take these precautions every single day, the more knowledge you have, the healthier a life you are able to live.