INTRO
What are the best sleep hygiene practices? Before we answer that, it is important to know how crucial healthy sleep is? We all have faced the situation when we are trying to sleep but are not able to sleep despite having spent more than an hour in bed.
If it is not happening regularly then it is ok. But if you are experiencing this regularly, the possible cause might be poor sleep hygiene. You can definitely get a good sleep routine by following these best sleep hygiene practices. Having good sleep will improve your mental health and reduce stress.
WHAT IS SLEEP HYGIENE?
Sleep hygiene is the combination of best habits that help in having a good sleep. It is not just for a day but for a long time. It combines both the mental and physical aspects of sleep. It is not only associated with the sleep part, but with the entire day’s routine that leads to sleep.
Good sleep hygiene means having a good bedroom environment and the best routine to have a good sleep at the end of the day. We all can achieve good sleep hygiene, leading to a night of better sleep. We are only required to follow these best sleep hygiene practices. These habits can be tailor-made to suit individual requirements.
Good sleep hygiene has a considerable impact on the quality and the time duration of sleep.
SIGNS OF POOR SLEEP HYGIENE
How can we know that our sleep hygiene is poor? There are some indicators that will tell us. Let us have a look at them.
Long Time to Fall Asleep. Usually it should not take more than 20 – 30 mins to fall asleep after going to bed. If you are taking more then it is definitely a poor sleep hygiene that is at fault.
Lack of Deep Sleep. It is characterized by frequent disturbances in sleep. It can also be associated with subconscious sleep. Waking up to the slightest of disturbances is not a part of it.
More Daytime Sleeping. This is a major factor in poor sleep hygiene. The more we sleep during the day, it will be more difficult for us to fall asleep at night. Sleeping in the daytime is somewhat related to psychological habits.
Irregular Sleep Timing and Duration. Sleep Hygiene is said to be poor if there is no consistency in sleep.
It is needless to say that all these symptoms can be removed by following some of the best sleep hygiene practices.
BEST SLEEP HYGIENE PRACTICES.
Good sleep hygiene is just taking good care of your routine that leads to your sleep. We have the best sleep hygiene practices for your these will surely help you to have a deep, relaxing, and better sleeping experience.
SCHEDULE
Always follow a schedule for sleeping. Set your sleeping time according to your routine. Make an endeavor to sleep and wake up every day at the same time. This will help your body to get acclimatized to the timing and is one of the best sleep hygiene practices. Following a schedule for sleep will reduce your urge to take naps. Daytime sleep habits can also be reduced with this.
RELAXED BEDTIME ROUTINE.
You should have a relaxed routine right from the time you have had your food till the time of your sleep. There are various methods for it. These can be: –
. Taking shower with lukewarm water before going to bed.
. Gentle stretching in the bed to relax muscles. Regular practice can be a psychological trigger for the body to go to sleep.
. Meditation. Some of you might find meditation before going to sleep to be calming and relaxing. This will stimulate our minds and body to get us ready for sleep.
If followed regularly it can prove to be one of the best sleep hygiene practices that one can follow without any effort.
. Avoid tossing & Turns while in bed. It usually happens when we are not able to sleep. Movement in bed often leads to increased brain activity. This increase in brain activity will make it even harder for us to fall asleep. Any one position can be your favorite position and with time body can recognize that it’s time to sleep once you are in that position.
. Early Dinner. Having an early dinner will help the body to initiate digestion early and get the body ready for sleep.
NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN THE BEDROOM.
The screen of electronic devices emits a high quantity of blue light. This is harmful to the eyes. This blue light is also responsible for the lack of sleep. This is due to the fact that blue light reduces the hormonal level of Melatonin (The hormone responsible for the regulation of the sleep cycle).
It is not enough to keep these devices on silent. These will still disturb the sleep cycle. It is recommended that electronic devices be kept out of the bedroom. A buzz or ting of the notification can disturb your entire sleep. So it is better to just maintain discipline and keep it out.
EXERCISE.
Some sort of physical exercise is one of the best sleep hygiene practices. It can help improve the quality and time of sleep. In addition to the benefit of better overall health.
Exercises, however, should be avoided just before sleeping. As it increases the activity level of both the mind and the body. This will disrupt the sleep cycle and sleep hygiene will not be good.
AVOID CAFFEINE.
Drinks that include caffeine should not be taken before going to bed. Having coffee even 4-5 hours prior will affect the sleep cycle.
SLEEP ENVIRONMENT.
Having a good sleep environment means having the bedroom conditions right to induce sleep. There are various ways to do this.
. Cool and dark room.
. The temperature of the room should be according to your comfort level.
. Music can also help to fall asleep even faster. There is a lot of sleep music that is available in the open domain.
. Fragrance/Scent. Some of us might like some aroma or decent scent in our bedrooms. These fragrances help us to fall asleep better and fast.
. Bed, Mattresses and Pillow. There is no need to buy ultra-luxury mattresses to have good sleep hygiene. The idea is to have mattresses with good spinal support. One of the best sleep hygiene practices is to have good quality and comfortable mattresses, pillows, and beds. We should invest wisely in these items.
. Earplugs. Having good quality earplugs can help maintain better sleep hygiene as they help to reduce unwanted noise. This is good for readers who have busy neighborhoods.
BED – ONLY SLEEP OR SEX ON IT.
It is not good to use the bed for just lying down, or for playing video games, or working on a laptop. This makes a psychological impression in our brain to associate these activities with a bed.
If we avoid these and use our bed only to sleep then our minds will work in a way that once we go to bed, we will fall asleep quickly.
GO TO BED ONLY WHEN FEELING SLEEPY.
It is one of the best sleep hygiene practices. Just because you have nothing else to do, it is not required to go to bed and wait to sleep. We should not go to bed till the time we are feeling sleepy. This is a long-term habit to maintain good sleep hygiene.
If you have been in bed for the past 20-30 minutes and do not fall asleep, then just get out of bed and do something else. Once you feel tired then you can go to bed again.
LIMIT NAPPING.
The ill-timed naps can lead to bad sleep hygiene. Sleeping during the afternoons is not considered a good habit. It delays sleep during the night.
If we don’t sleep during the daytime then the body will get tired sooner and will fall asleep faster. If mandatory then an afternoon nap can be taken but not more than 20 minutes.
IMPACT OF POOR SLEEP HYGIENE.
It can lead to stress, ill health, and reduced output related to work. There are other very serious impacts of poor sleep hygiene. This is not discussed in this article. Also, dark circles and headaches can also be caused by not having good sleep hygiene.
FAQs
1. WHAT IS SLEEP HYGIENE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Answer. It is the cumulative sleep habits that lead to a night of better sleep. This includes having a good sleep routine and a comfortable bedroom environment. There are various sleep hygiene practices that are best. Good sleep improves the overall health of the body. It also improves mental balance and improves the quality of life. It helps you to become a morning person.
2. WHAT CAUSES POOR SLEEP HYGIENE?
Answer. Poor sleep hygiene is caused by a casual approach to health habits. Some of the reasons can be not following a routine, having late meals, being drug addicted, and not having a conducive environment for sleep.
3. WHAT ARE UNHEALTHY SLEEP HABITS?
Answer. Some of the poor sleep habits are irregular sleeping time, use of electronic devices while in bed, and consuming too much food also reduces sleep hygiene.
4. NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS OF BAD SLEEP.
Answer. Not having proper sleep can have adverse effects on the health of the body. Some of the ill effects of not having the best sleep hygiene practices are heart disease, increased stress, depression, lack of focus, and lack of motivation.
5. WHAT IS SLEEP APATHY?
Answer. It is a condition in which the body has irregular breath while sleeping. This can be reduced the rate of breath. It reduces the oxygen intake level of the body.