What is Sleep Hygiene?

You may know hygiene as a term that refers to maintaining good overall health, whether through brushing your teeth daily or taking a shower to keep yourself clean.

Sleep hygiene is basically the same idea. It refers to good habits to help you get a good night’s sleep, which is extremely important seeing how vital sleep is to your overall health.

Bad sleep hygiene can occur when you are having trouble falling asleep, you don’t stay asleep through the night, you are awoken frequently by external factors, or if you are feeling excessively sleepy during the daytime. Of course, there will be days where your sleep hygiene may get off track for a night or more but staying as consistent as possible is important for proper sleep hygiene!

Here are four tips to maintaining proper sleep hygiene:

Set a proper sleep schedule

Decide on a bedtime that works best for you and gives you the 7-9 hours of sleep you need. Make sure you stick to this as much as possible and try and keep your wake-up times consistent as well. Also, try and avoid daytime napping, if possible, as this can interfere with your sleep routine.

Follow a good bedtime routine

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to bedtime routines but in general, make sure your routine is one that will help you to relax and wind down. Dim your bedroom lights, put all your technology devices away at least 30 minutes before bedtime and do a relaxing activity that calms you down.

Practice healthy habits in the daytime

This is one of the key pieces for getting a good night’s sleep. Maintain a healthy diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables, stay hydrated, and try to get in around 30 minutes of exercise during the daytime. Also, try to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine close to bedtime.

Create the perfect sleep environment in your bedroom

Make sure your bedroom is a place that promotes good sleep! Make sure your bed has a comfortable mattress, pillows, and bedding, and use blackout curtains to block out any outside light that may disturb your sleep. Keep the bedroom at a comfortable temperature and take advantage of earplugs or a white noise machine if you are sensitive to external noise.