What sleep hygiene is, why it's important for your health, and tips to increase your sleep quality
Sleep matters so much for overall health. For example, it helps improve problem-solving skills, learning and decision making. It also helps balance hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin, which regulate appetite. It influences insulin sensitivity, the immune system and so much more [1]. Despite all of the benefits, it was found that almost one in three adults in the United States don't get sufficient sleep [2]. Recent research has shown that adults should be sleeping seven to nine hours hours each night for optimal health [3]. Learning about sleep hygiene can help us better understand the best ways to optimize our sleep for our health.
What Is Sleep Hygiene?
Michael Breus is a Clinical Psychologist, Sleep Medicine Expert, a Diplomat of the American Board of Sleep Medicine, and a Fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He describes sleep hygiene perfectly.
“Sleep hygiene is a catchall term for habits and behaviors that influence sleep. Practicing healthy sleep hygiene can help people fall asleep more quickly, remain asleep throughout the night, and feel refreshed in the morning. Likewise, poor sleep hygiene can have an adverse effect on sleep quality and duration.” - Breus [4]
Tips To Improve Your Sleep Hygiene:
Time Your Naps Well:
Don’t nap too close to your bedtime. It was found that napping after 3 pm can disrupt your sleep [4].
Avoid Heavy Meals At Night:
Eating too large or heavy of a meal right before bedtime can feel uncomfortable and make it more difficult to fall asleep. In addition, it can interfere with your sleep during the night. If you're looking for a post-dinner snack, try to choose something easy to digest.
Avoid Nicotine:
Nicotine products have been found to interfere with healthy sleep [4].
Get Connected To Your Circadian Rhythm:
Circadian rhythms are biological processes that repeat every 24 hour period. One of the most well known circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle. This influences how wakeful someone is in the morning and how sleepy they become at night. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain regulates your internal clock and is very sensitive to light from the environment.
Light and darkness are taken in by your eyes, which sends a signal to SCN. Natural light causes your SCN to keep you awake and alert. Natural darkness, on the other hand, activates biological processes that make you sleepy. It is best for your health when you are in-synch with the natural lightness and darkness [5].
“If your sleep-wake cycle is not in alignment with natural light and darkness cues, you may notice a range of changes to your sleep health, and consequently, your physical health. Insufficient sleep can cause mood changes, trouble focusing, and accidents.” - Breus [5]
Align your sleep-wake cycle with natural light and darkness cues:
Get some light in the morning: This is especially important to do within 30 minutes of waking up. Your SCN is extra sensitive to light during this time frame [5]. Open your blinds and look at the sun, go for a walk or get a full-spectrum lamp if you live in a cloudy place. You can find many online.
Get sunshine during the day: This helps your internal clock register what time of day it is. Exercising during the day is a great way to do this.
Not wearing sunglasses outside can help your eyes register and brain the sunshine.
Open your blinds so your internal clock can register whether it's light or dark outside.
Use low lighting or dim the lights at night time.
Be Careful Using Screens At Night:
Electronic devices such as cell phones, TVs, or computers emit blue light, which is especially important to avoid. Breus explains how “Cells in the eyes that respond to light are particularly sensitive to blue light, so using these devices in the hours before bed might signal to your brain that you should be alert rather than sleepy [5]."
Be Consistent!
Try to wake up and fall asleep around the same time every day, even on weekends and vacations. This helps your circadian rhythm to stay regulated.
Avoid Caffeine Late In The Day:
Caffeine can increase alertness for hours and therefore is best to avoid late in the day. Drinking in the morning or early afternoon is best for your sleep hygiene. Be aware that caffeine can be in coffee, teas, energy drinks, or cocoa beans, which makes chocolate [6].
Avoid Alcohol Before Bed:
While alcohol may make you sleepy, it interferes with your sleep throughout the need. Additionally, it was found that the more you drink, the greater the effect it has on your sleep quality [6].
Exercise:
Different forms of exercise have been found to improve sleep, such as yoga, tai chi, aerobic exercise, and resistance training. Exercise can also help relieve anxiety and make you more tired, which can help with falling asleep [7]. Avoid intense exercise within three hours of your bedtime [8].
Sleep Environment:
The ideal bedroom temperature is between 66 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and is dark and quiet.
Get A Bedtime Routine:
Creating a bedtime routine that you enjoy can be a very helpful way to get your brain and body ready for sleep [9].
Sleep is a vital dimension of our health that effects so many other dimensions. Pick one or two of these sleep hygiene hacks that seem the most manageable, then slowly add more. It's not about doing all of the hacks all of the time. It's about trying and doing what works for you.
1
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022, June 15). How sleep affects your health.
2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, February 23). Sleep Health.
3
Hirshkowitz, M., Whiton, K., Albert, S. M., Alessi, C., Bruni, O., DonCarlos, L., Hazen, N., Herman, J.,
Katz, E. S., Kheirandish-Gozal, L., Neubauer, D. N., O'Donnell, A. E., Ohayon, M., Peever, J., Rawding, R., Sachdeva, R. C., Setters, B., Vitiello, M. V., Ware, J. C., & Adams Hillard, P. J. (2015). National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep health, 1(1), 40–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010
4
Breus, M. (2022, December 13). Sleep hygiene. The sleep doctor.
5
Breus, M. (2023, January 6). Circadian rhythm. The sleep doctor.
6
Breus, M. (2022, December 13). Alcohol and sleep. The sleep doctor.
7
Breus, M. (2022, December 13). Exercise and sleep. The sleep doctor.
8
Myllymäki, T., Kyröläinen, H., Savolainen, K., Hokka, L., Jakonen, R., Juuti, T., Martinmäki, K.,
Kaartinen, J., Kinnunen, M. L., & Rusko, H. (2011). Effects of vigorous late-night exercise on sleep quality and cardiac autonomic activity. Journal of sleep research, 20(1 Pt 2), 146–153. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2010.00874.x
9
Breus, M. (2022, December 13). How to design a better bedtime routine. The sleep doctor.
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