What is Sleep Hygiene? 10 tips for Better Sleep

Photo by Damir Spanic on Unsplash

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, wondering why you are awake? Do you ever lay in bed for hours not being able to actually fall asleep? Do you wake up feeling like you’re not entirely rested?

it may not be something you’ve heard of, but sleep hygiene may be something you’re needing in order to achieve a better quality sleep.

What is Sleep Hygiene?

Sleep hygiene, simply put, are the practices and good habits you develop to get a good night sleep without any interruptions. Your daytime and before bed activities can help play a role in the quality of sleep you have.

Why is Sleep Hygiene important?

Sleep hygiene allows you to build healthy habits and behaviours that contribute to your physical and mental health. With sleeping pills and medications, they can help short term and could potentially cause a dependency, though developing sleep hygiene can definitely aid in good quality sleep. Throughout the day, if we are sleep deprived, we may start to feel fatigue, brain fog and lack in focus. By achieving the ideal goal of uninterrupted sleep, you will also improve better quality of life.

10 tips for Better Sleep

I am going to delve into the practices I found helped me achieve better quality sleep. You can definitely develop your own, though I thought I should share my personal experience as to what worked. Everyone wants a good night rest and having healthy habits can contribute to us all achieving better quality sleep.

1 / Don’t Drink Caffeine Before Bed

It may seem obvious but drinking caffeine before bed may contribute to your poor quality sleep. Caffeine works as a stimulant, meaning it may keep you awake and alert for hours once consumed. Did you know that some teas have caffeine in it? I love tea and didn’t realise that some of what I was consuming could be contributing to my poor sleep. Mainstream brands usually have caffeine added in black, white and grean tea, though using for example a loose leaf flower wouldn’t have caffeine added. It’s always good to check the label or do your own research to how much caffeine is in your drink. Consuming less caffeine overall during the day, means you reduce the stimulating properties and effects it has on you when it comes to impacting your sleep.

2 / Bed is for Sleep and Sex

You should really only ever use your bed for sleep and sex. So, that means not using your bed for eating, no TV in bed, putting your smart phone away, not using your laptop and other things that may distract you from sleeping because they keep you alert. It’s about developing a connection that your bed is used for sleep. When your mind and body associate the bed is for sleeping, then it makes it easier to fall asleep. I’ve found that when I developed this practice, I have fallen asleep easier.

3 / Avoid napping

If you nap during the day, this can cause you problems of waking up during the night. You may also may not be able to fall asleep if you have had long naps during the day. When I took out napping, I found that I actually became naturally tired to sleep the night through. It was difficult to break out my habit of napping, but when I did, I feel better for it.

4 / Create a Regular Sleeping Pattern

i think it’s important to go to bed around the same time every day. Your body gets used to this pattern and it allows you to fall asleep easier. If your set time is 9:30pm every day, then your body knows that it’s bedtime. This in turn allows you to wake up relatively at the same time every day. By getting into a regular rhythm, even on weekends, it will make you feel better and your body naturally adjusts to this pattern.

5 / Relax Your Mind

It is so important to leave your worries for the day before you go to bed. Stressing your mind out whilst in bed, will keep you alert and may prevent you falling asleep. You can write in a journal all the worries of the day, so that they are released from the mind and you can always revisit them the next day after you’ve slept. I find that meditating helps to clear your mind and helps me relax. Another thing I also try is focusing on a calming colour like the colour blue and only that to help me fall asleep. I just try clearing my head of any thought and visualising that colour only. Has done me wonders over the years in falling asleep.

6 / Create a Sleep Ritual

Before going to bed, you can develop some ways that remind you that it’s time for sleep. Some people take a warm bath or shower before bed. I like to drink non caffeinated tea and journal. You can also listen to soft, gentle music as part of a routine. I also mentioned above about meditating. You could even try some light stretching before bed. By consistently following your routine, this can go hand in hand with your regular sleeping time, which means you can fall asleep more easily.

7 / Avoid Meals Right Before Bed

This was a lesson I learned, but if you eat close to bed time, or eat a heavy meal right before bed, your digestive system is still working to break that food down. You also might develop acid reflux (which I also experienced), because you’ve gone to lay down right after eating. Acid reflux is when the stomach acids starts travelling up your food pipe and irritates the lining. It’s not pleasant and can cause an uncomfortable feeling in the chest. I have learned it takes 2-4 hours for food to leave the stomach, so it’s in your best interest to eat earlier. Even having a lighter meal for dinner will make a difference to a better night of sleep. Timing is everything!

8 / Improve Your Sleeping Environment

Small changes in your sleep environment can contribute to having a peaceful sleep. You want to ensure you have a mattress that will make you comfortable to sleep. Is the temperature in the room not too cold or too hot? Are you blocking out any light that may disrupt your sleep? I live in a place where the streetlights shine through my window, but investing in a blockout blind reduces that from coming through. Is there noises that occur outside that may disrupt your sleep? I have used earplugs and they have given me the best nights of sleep I have experienced. Do your pillows make you feel uncomfortable? I prefer a few soft pillows to make me feel relaxed though my partner prefers one single harder pillow. Some people prefer memory foam pillows. I think it’s important to note that everyone is different. You have to establish what works for you. Test what works and what doesn’t. All of these changes can help you have good quality sleep.

9 / Don’t Watch the Clock

If you’re having trouble falling asleep, or if you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t keep checking what the time is. This will not only make you alert, but you might start worrying about how long it’s been since you’ve gone to bed or if you woke up, how long since you were asleep. I’ve been a culprit of this especially when I’ve woken up during the night - if it’s 2am, I’d think, “oh no! Only 4 hours until I have to get up!”. If you do wake up, don’t toss and turn, but try to relax to fall back asleep again. You can try one of the relaxing methods mentioned above such as meditating to help you fall asleep.

10 / Reduce Blue Light

Our ancestors lived in the natural rhythms of night and day and being exposed to the natural light and darkness. Our bodies are built to get a certain amount of blue light during the day, and as the sun sets, the natural light turns to an amber before switching over to darkness. This is all part of a circadian rhythm (and I will write another blog post on this), which is our natural progression over a day of exposure to light and dark. Blue light is great for us during the day as it boosts us awake, we have better focus and attention. With modern times, we are exposed to more unnatural light and blue light from our devices, that messes with this natural rhythm. Instead of allowing the natural light dim, by using our computers, TV or smartphones at night, it can disrupt our sleeping patterns because we keep exposing ourselves to blue light, even though it’s dark outside. Fluorescent lights and LED produce blue light also. The best advice is to stop using devices with blue light a few hours before bed, switch over to some amber/red lights for night time or get blue light blocking glasses to reduce your exposure at night. If we can get back into the natural rhythm of light and dark, this helps with our sleeping of going to bed consistently at the same time and waking up naturally at the same time also.

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

Disclaimer - Any advice is from my own personal experience. It should not replace advice by a health care professional and you should always seek guidance from these professionals on any matter relating to mental or physical issues that do concern you.