14 Time-Savers That May Hurt Your Health

Too busy to stay healthy?

It's no secret that leading a healthy lifestyle often feels like it takes more time than most of us have.

So found a survey by the American Public Health Association in which 34 percent of adults said they were too busy to fit in things they knew were good for them, like eating right and exercising regularly.

So raise your hand if, as you hurry through the day, you cut a few corners: "I'm too tired to take out my contacts, so I'll leave them in overnight," you say, or, "I won't bother with my seat belt—I'm not going far." What you may not realize is that these moves could actually cost you time, money, and sometimes serious health issues in the long run. Here, the scoop on 14 time-savers that really aren't, plus safer alternatives that fit easily into a tight schedule.

1. Forgetting to floss nightly

It's been a really long day, so you decide to skip the dental string—but brushing alone leaves as much as 40 percent of tooth surfaces untouched.

Flossing between teeth allows you to get into the nooks and crannies that a toothbrush can't reach, and doing it daily—preferably at night, when plaque-causing bacteria really build up—is your frontline defense against gum disease, tooth decay, and bad breath.

If the benefits of good oral health don't convince you to pick up the floss, perhaps an increased risk of heart disease will: Research at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health revealed a connection between severe gum disease and an increased risk of atherosclerosis, a condition in which arteries become blocked.

Next time: Swear to yourself that you'll do it the following evening. Nightly flossing is ideal, but it's acceptable to do it every other day, as long as it's thorough and you don't have a family history of gum disease, says Gordon L. Douglass, D.D.S., a past president of the American Academy of Periodontology. On days when you're not going to floss, swish water around in your mouth after brushing; Douglass says this has been shown to reduce bacteria.

Simply wearing contact lenses impedes the flow of oxygen that corneas need to stay healthy.

"When you close your eyes for hours while sleeping, it's even worse," says Thomas L. Steinemann, M.D., an associate professor of ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University. A study of 557 contact lens wearers in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the odds of developing a bacterial infection with daily wear (including taking the lenses out at bedtime) were 1 in 2,500.

Next time: Switch to the newer silicone hydrogel lenses, which allow more oxygen to reach the eyes. According to a recent study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, sleeping in these lenses reduced the risk of infection fivefold over traditional soft contact lenses. "The safest option is to take out your lenses at night, but if you think you'll be a habitual offender, you'd be better off with this new technology," says Steinemann.

Wearing foundation to bed can clog your pores, which can lead to blackheads and breakouts.

But a more serious consequence is that mascara fragments will dislodge into your eyes while you're sleeping and cause painful corneal abrasions.

Next time: Keep premoistened makeup removal pads on hand. Some that also remove eye makeup: Comodynes Makeup Remover Towels for Face & Eyes, Olay Daily Facials Lathering Cleansing Cloths, and Noxzema Wet Cleansing Cloths. A few swipes, and—voilà!—you're done.