Sleep Hygiene: Essential Practices for Better Sleep

Who Can Benefit?

Good sleep hygiene is crucial for anyone experiencing sleep difficulties. Implementing these practices can significantly improve sleep quality and overall health.

How to Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Maintaining proper sleep hygiene involves creating an environment and routine that promotes restful sleep. Here are some essential tips:

  1. Reserve Your Bed for Sleep: Use your bed and bedroom exclusively for sleep to help your brain associate these spaces with rest.
  2. Establish a Consistent Night-Time Routine: Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
  3. Avoid Caffeine Near Bedtime: Refrain from consuming caffeine in the late afternoon and evening, as it can interfere with falling asleep.
  4. Don’t Eat Large Meals Close to Bedtime: Finish eating at least three hours before bed to prevent discomfort that might disrupt sleep.
  5. Avoid Using Alcohol as a Sleep Aid: While alcohol may initially make you sleepy, it disrupts sleep patterns and reduces sleep quality.
  6. Exercise During the Day: Regular physical activity helps you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep, but avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime.
  7. Control Room Temperature: Ensure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature, ideally cool, to facilitate better sleep.
  8. Limit Screen Time Before Bed: Avoid screens (phones, tablets, computers) 1-2 hours before bedtime, as the blue light can interfere with melatonin production.
  9. Minimize Noise and Light: Use sleep earbuds to block noise and blackout blinds or sleep masks to reduce light exposure, creating a sleep-conducive environment.

The Science Behind Sleep Hygiene

Effective sleep hygiene helps your brain associate the bed and bedtime routines with sleep, making it easier to fall asleep. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and executive function, needs time to wind down before bed. Additionally, substances like caffeine and alcohol can disrupt sleep architecture, leading to poorer sleep quality. By maintaining good sleep hygiene, you optimise conditions for restorative sleep.

Reference

Korb, A. (2015). The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time. New Harbinger Publications.

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