What is sleep hygiene and how can it help me?

Sleep hygiene is simply applying healthy sleeping habits. Of course there has been a lot of conflict over sleep hygiene and whether or not it works in a general sense. If you wish to take this course of action, you would need to let a professional know about the details of your sleeping habits for them to make recommendations on what to change or adapt.

Sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices that are necessary to have normal, quality nighttime sleep and full daytime alertness. The most important sleep hygiene measure is to maintain a regular wake and sleep pattern seven days a week. It is also important to spend an appropriate amount of time in bed, not too little, or too excessive.

The term “sleep hygiene” refers to a series of habits and rituals that can improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Board certified sleep physicians recommend following a series of common-sense, healthy sleep habits to promote better sleep. These healthy sleep habits are a cornerstone of cognitive behavioral therapy, the most effective long-term treatment for patients with insomnia.

Habits that if you do they will help you get into good sleep routines. It will help you sleep better.

Sleep hygiene consists of taking some habits or behave in a certain way to maximise and optimize your sleeping time (i.e. go to bed at the same time). It can help you to have more energy and be more healthy. Sleeping is a very important process to keep you healthy.

Sleep hygiene is all about learning how to take care of yourself to ensure you achieve optimal sleep. There are many obstacles to getting good sleep in terms of what we expose our mind and bodies to. For example, blue light from TV, computers, and smart phones affects the Pineal Gland and disrupts Melatonin production in the brain. We need Melatonin for a good night's sleep. One sleep hygiene strategy would be to wear Blue-Blocking glasses at night. Or turn the lights low and shut off the above named devices. Another sleep hygiene strategy is to align your body to it's natural circadian rhythm by going to bed early when it gets dark and waking up when the sun rises. Another strategy to calm a busy mind is to practice meditation or breathing exercises before bed. This is useful for anyone who finds that disruptive thoughts and emotions keep them awake. These are just a few examples of good sleep hygiene.

Sleep hygiene - The rituals, behaviors, and norms you follow around sleep are referred to as sleep hygiene. What’s good sleep hygiene? The most important elements of sleep hygiene require the following from your bedroom: Temperature – neither too hot nor too cold. Darkness – the darker, the better. Quiet – the quieter, the better however some people need a noise buffer since it is to quiet. A comfortable place to lie down and stretch out. Know how much sleep you need and then go to bed the same time every night. Limit screen time before going to bed. Follow a bedtime routine. Following the same set of activities each night, in the 30 to 60 minutes before bed, psychologically trains your brain to recognize it’s time for bed when it’s bedtime. Your bedtime routine should be relaxing. The goal is to wind your mind and body down for sleep. Yours might include the following activities: Turning off all electronics. Taking a warm bath. Aromatherapy. Meditation or visualization. Deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation. Reading a book by a soft lamp. Limit your daytime naps. Watch what you eat and drink, and when. Get help when you need it. Unfortunately, it is possible that you’ll implement all these tips and follow them dutifully, and still not experience improved sleep. If this is the case, you may have a sleep disorder or another health issue. Keep a sleep diary and talk to your doctor to get help because the diary will help the doctor a lot when talking.

Sleep hygiene is having a consistent plan every night. Picking the same time to go to sleep and get up creates a schedule that helps improve sleep. It is ideal to shoot for 8 hours but some people need less and some people need more. Before going to sleep it is good to remember to fit in a relaxing activity that doesn't involve a screen, things like breathing, stretching, reading for fun. Anything that makes you feel good and doesn't cause extra stress. The main thing is to not force or set expectations that make you feel stressed, but to maintain consistency.