Getting enough healthy sleep is essential for both your physical and mental health, as well as improving your overall quality of life. Sleep hygiene plays a crucial role in achieving this and includes both sleep environment and habits.
That said, if you are having trouble falling asleep, experiencing regular sleep disturbances, or suffering from daytime fatigue and sleepiness, it’s time you pay attention to your sleep hygiene. Here’s what you should do to get a good night’s sleep and apply good sleep hygiene practices:
Set a Strict Sleep Schedule
Setting a fixed sleep schedule helps you normalize sleep and gets your brain and body adjusted to getting the right amount of sleep you need. To do so, you should wake up and go to bed at the same time every day no matter whether it is a weekday or weekend. Also, ensure sleep is your priority over work, study, exercise, etc., and stick to your schedule no matter what.
If you still need to do some adjustments, make them gradually. For example, make 15-30 minutes adjustments at a time. And, of course, skip naps because they can delay your bedtime and hence throw your schedule out of whack.
Follow a Nighttime Routine
Following a nightly routine is also one of the key components of practicing good sleep hygiene. The way you prepare for bed and the activities you do before sleep can truly help you fall asleep easily and get good quality sleep. In other words, following the same routine, every night will signal to your mind that it’s time for bed.
Some helpful strategies and tips include having a shower, brushing your teeth, putting on pajamas, dimming your lights, etc. In addition, try avoiding using gadgets at least an hour before bedtime. Instead, focus on relaxing by trying some relaxation techniques, listening to soft music, meditating, reading, etc.
Apply Healthy Daily Habits
Furthermore, it’s not only bedtime habits that can help you get good sleep. Indeed, positive daily habits also play a part in the quality of your sleep. Cultivating healthy habits during the day will support your circadian rhythm and improve sleep.
But, what falls under healthy daily habits? Let’s see! First, ensure you are exposed to daylight, especially sunlight, as it is one of the main drivers of the circadian rhythm. Then, be active and practice regular exercise. Also, you should avoid or at least limit the consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes. Finally, avoid heavy or spicy meals for dinner.
Optimize your Sleep Environment
Last but not least, you should improve your bedroom and make it sleep-friendly if you want to practice good sleep hygiene and get better sleep. So, you have to make sure that your sleep environment is comfortable, inviting, calm, and free of disruptions.
To optimize your sleep environment, start by investing in a high-quality mattress, pillows, and bedding. Next, be careful with your room temperature as the ideal sleep temperature ranges from 60 to 67°F. Then, block out light using heavy curtains or an eye mask. At last, eliminate all background noises by either using a white noise machine or earplugs.
As you can see, practicing good sleep hygiene is easily achievable. All you should do is follow the above-mentioned tips and enjoy the benefits of better sleep and good sleep hygiene.