Achieving consistently better sleep is sometimes a matter of habit. Good sleep hygiene encourages making sleep-positive adjustments to your environment and pre-bed behaviors. By regularly practicing good sleep hygiene, quality rest becomes a matter of routine.
Proper sleep hygiene encompasses your day and night, but while it might seem intimidating at first, sleep hygiene primarily relies on small but significant changes. And the more you do it, the easier it becomes, until sleep hygiene doesn't feel like any effort at all – it's just what you do before bed.
In this guide, we'll explore why good sleep hygiene matters and how to develop your own sleep-friendly routine. For sleep hygiene to be effective, it's important that your environment supports your rest, so make sure to check out our best mattress guide if your bed isn't providing the support you need.
Proper sleep hygiene uses regular repetition of sleep-friendly habits to develop a healthy sleep routine. Sleep hygiene is both behavioral and environmental, and it involves following a sleep-friendly routine during the day and at night. Done correctly, sleep hygiene becomes a habit, providing a long-term solution for sleep difficulties.
"Quality sleep is essential for cognitive function, mood regulation, and overall well-being. By practicing good sleep hygiene, you'll feel more alert, focused, and energized during the day," says Lisa Artis, sleep expert and deputy CEO at Simba mattresses charity partner, the Sleep Charity.
Sleep hygiene prepares your body and mind for good sleep, and while it relies on consistency to work, it also delivers consistency. By practicing correct sleep hygiene, you should be able to enjoy high quality, high quantity sleep almost every night. Essentially, sleep hygiene turns good sleep into a habit.
Why is habit important? Studies – plus a lot of anecdotal evidence – show that humans are creatures of habit. We like routine, often doing the same things everyday, sometimes without even realizing. Regularly practicing sleep hygiene teaches our body the routine of going to bed, until good sleep becomes something that happens without thought or effort.
And one of the biggest benefits of proper sleep hygiene is that it’s so easily incorporated into your pre-existing daily routine. It’s not about making a massive, drastic change, but about small, habitual adjustments that should gradually become second nature.
Without sleep hygiene, you could find your habits are actually holding you back from getting the rest you need. A bad sleep hygiene routine – like bright lights in the evening and big meals before bed – might inadvertently be keeping you awake and accumulating sleep debt. And research shows that frequent lack of sleep can have both short-term and long-term implications on health. Which is why you want to replace those bad sleep habits with a good sleep hygiene routine.
"Establishing a consistent sleep routine and creating a comfortable sleep environment can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night," explains Lisa. "Practicing good sleep hygiene can help prevent or alleviate common sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea."
And while even with the best sleep hygiene it's impossible to guarantee every night is a good night – we can't always avoid busy evenings, stress, or changes to the routine – these good habits will make it easier to return to quality rest after a few nights of disruption..
Poor sleep hygiene is when you don’t have a regular sleep-friendly routine in place to help you achieve consistently good rest. The most obvious sign of poor sleep hygiene is bad sleep. You might struggle to drift off, wake up frequently during the night, or find that even after eight hours of sleep, you still feel tired.
It's not always obvious that you have poor sleep hygiene until you take a step back. But what seems like an ordinary evening routine might be the reason you spend your nights disrupted. Keeping a sleep diary can provide an overview of your sleep, helping you identify problems and find solutions.
While the general rules of sleep hygiene are the same for everyone, it’s important to personalize your routine to suit your needs. Take a gradual approach when determining what proper sleep hygiene looks like for you. For example, move your bedtime by 15 minutes, rather than an hour. The rules we've outlined below should act as a starting point, from which you build your own good habits.
“Adequate sleep is crucial for maintaining a healthy immune system, metabolism, and cardiovascular health," explains Lisa. "By prioritizing sleep hygiene, you can reduce the risk of various health problems."
Sleep hygiene can improve sleep, but it won’t work for everyone. If you’re suffering from severe insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or other sleep disorders, consult with your doctor to find the best course of action.
These overarching rules from the basis of sleep hygiene. They prioritize schedule and repetition, and they aren't just focused on those last few minutes before bed – what you do during the day is also important. As well as behavioral aspects, sleep hygiene focuses on your environment, so make sure to think about your bedroom. And remember that these rules are general, not specific, and need to be personalized to your needs.
A sleep schedule determines when you go to bed and when you wake up, to ensure you're getting as much sleep as you need. If you want to keep a close eye on your schedule, the best sleep trackers provide the exact data. Otherwise, a sleep diary can help you create an overview of just how much shut-eye you're getting, and when.
Find your sleep window
Wake up at the same time everyday "
Get out of bed if you can’t sleep
A relaxing bedtime routine prepares the body and mind for rest, lulling you into the perfect headspace for sleep. This routine should be followed nightly and adapted to suit your own needs and interests.
Set a time to wind-down
Enjoy relaxing activities
"Engage in activities that help you wind down before bed, such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practising relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation," suggests Lisa. Choose the right activities, and your bedtime routine can be the best part of your day.
Put away blue light "
Save the bed for sleep
Sleep hygiene encompasses environmental factors, not just behaviors. Your bedroom should echo the calm feeling you've created during your bedtime routine, to keep you in that relaxing headspace. "Make sure your bedroom is conducive to sleep by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet," says Lisa.
Choose the right mattress
Don’t forget the pillow "
Clean up clutter
Get the right temperature “
Block out light
What we do during the day has a direct impact on your sleep, and while you shouldn't spend the entire day waiting to go to bed, you want to avoid bad habits that will have you lying awake all night
Eat well
Avoid eating late at night
Choose drinks carefully
Get active
Sleep hygiene, much like regular hygiene, isn’t a one and done kind of activity. Consistency is key. Just like you should brush your teeth every morning, you should commit to sleep hygiene every night.
But because sleep hygiene is all about habit, the more frequently you do it, the more natural it becomes. With regular repetition, it won't feel like you're practicing sleep hygiene – you'll just be going through your day-to-day routine.
While sleep hygiene should become habit that doesn't necessarily mean it has to remain static. Over time, you might need to gradually adapt your sleep hygiene to suit life changes, such as aging (our sleep needs change with our age), growing kids, or even a new job. However, with a good basis of routine in place, you should find these small adjustments won't disrupt your overall sleep habits.
2024-03-23T20:05:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd