Top 5 Tips for Sleep Hygiene
What is sleep hygiene?
Sleep hygiene means a variety of different practices and habits necessary for good night time sleep quality and full daytime alertness.
Why is it important to practice good sleep hygiene?
Obtaining healthy sleep is important for both physical and mental health. It can also improve productivity and overall quality of life. Everyone, from children to older adults, can benefit from practising good sleep habits.
Check out these 5 Tips to improve your sleep hygiene…
1/ guard your bedtime and always prioritise sleep
We now know that sleep deprivation is as damaging to your long-term health as a bad diet and lack of exercise. Indeed scientists have proven that lack of sleep will also mean you make worse decisions and are likely to eat more sugar and complex carbs, with much less motivation to keep up with your exercise regime.
You should try wherever possible to keep a regular bedtime and rise time so your body gets used to it and starts to wind down when appropriate. Remember that despite what you might think we all need between 7-9 hours sleep every night.
2/ walk outside early morning
Step out with the sun, to get sunlight and an injection of vitamin D. This also starts the production of melatonin to help you sleep in the evening. Try to do it at a similar time each day so your body and circadian rhythm know what to expect.
3/ watch out eating large meals before bedtime
Dine early daahling! Try to stop eating at least 2-3 hours before going to bed so your body isn’t busy digesting and your parasympathetic nervous system can kick in uninterrupted.
The exception to this, if your sleep is suffering, is a small snack of yoghurt, a small piece of fruit or a small bowl of porridge. These all contain large quantities of tryptophan -an amino acid that helps the body produce serotonin (commonly known as the happiness hormone) and melatonin, the hormone that signals to your body it’s time to sleep.
4/ no blue lights or screens from 2 hours before bedtime
Blue light signals to your brain that it’s still daytime. This messes with your circadian rhythm (your natural body clock). Not to mention all the negative messaging that you get from the news or social media and anything you may see on TV that sets your mind racing.
5/ turn the lights and the temperature down low
Despite what you might think, it is better to sleep in a cool room -around 16 degrees is perfect. Also, having the lights low will trick your body into knowing it’s time to sleep. Remember, before electricity we would’ve gone to bed when it went dark and got up feeling fresh when the sun rose again.
