Improving Your Quality Of Sleep

What is sleep hygiene?

It is a term used to describe healthy habits practiced during the day to help you get a good night's sleep. These daily habits play a role in how well you sleep. 

Why is good sleep hygiene important?

Sleep is essential for you physically and mentally by allowing your body time to recharge and your mind to process information. Without sufficient quality sleep, our brains are unable to function properly. 

Good sleep hygiene can help improve your sleep quality, which in turn can:

• Improve your mood

• Improve your concentration and memory

• Prevent you from developing sleep disorders (such as insomnia)

• Help you maintain a healthy weight

• Lower your risk of developing serious health conditions (such as diabetes and heart disease) 

• Help your body fight off diseases

  
  

What are the signs of poor sleep hygiene? 

If you have poor sleep hygiene, you may experience:

• Difficulty falling asleep

• Waking up several times during the night

• Feeling tired during the day 

  
  

How can I improve my sleep hygiene?

1. Keep regular sleep hours - Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day (including on weekends and free days) helps to regulate your body clock and will train your body to rest and remain alert at certain times of the day.
   

2. Create a restful bedroom environment - You can do this by:

   1. Keeping your room temperature at a comfortable level (a very warm room is more likely to disrupt your sleep)

   2. Keeping your room as dark as possible

   3. Keeping your room as quiet as possible or using earplugs
      

3. Only use your bedroom for sleep, sex and getting dressed - Avoid watching television, listening to the radio or reading in bed. This will help your brain to recognise your bed as a place for sleeping.
   

4. Stop using electronic devices before going to bed - Computers, smartphones and televisions can all stimulate your brain for several hours after use, making falling asleep difficult. 
   

5. Avoid stimulants after lunch - Caffeine can take up to six hours to wear off, ideally avoid anything containing caffeine after 2pm. 

   1. This includes coffee, tea, energy drinks and chocolate. 

   2. Nicotine is a stimulant and will keep you awake, so avoid smoking before going to bed.

   3. Alcohol may make you feel drowsy, but it does not improve sleep quality and will make you need the toilet more often than usual, which will disrupt your sleep. Avoid drinking alcohol before going to bed and try not to rely on it to help you fall asleep.
      

6. Eat a light meal before going to bed - Going to bed too full can force your digestive system to keep working when it should be resting. Likewise, going to bed hungry can also disturb your sleep. 
   

7. Exercise regularly during the day - Exercising during the day can help you have a better night’s sleep. However, vigorous exercise within three hours of going to bed may delay your sleep. Try doing a relaxing exercise before going to bed to help you sleep, such as yoga. 
   

8. Get regular exposure to natural light - Morning and early afternoon light exposure will help you to maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle. Too much light exposure in the evening can prevent you from feeling sleepy.
   

9. Create a relaxing bedtime routine - When you are stressed or anxious, your body produces more cortisol (the stress hormone). Ideally give yourself one to one and a half hours to wind down before going to sleep. Meditation or having a warm bath before going to bed can help. 
   

10. Limit or avoid taking naps during the day - Staying awake during the day will make you more likely to fall asleep at night. Naps in the late afternoon or in the evening are likely to affect the quality of your night-time sleep. If you do take a daytime nap, limit it to no more than 30 minutes. 
    

11. Don’t force yourself to try to go to sleep - This is likely to make you more alert. Remove or hide any clocks from your view so you are not constantly checking the time. If you are unable to sleep within 30 minutes of going to bed, get up, go to a different room and do something relaxing for a short while (avoid anything with bright lights). Return to your bedroom when you feel sleepy. Repeat this as many times as necessary during the night. 

    
    

The key to good sleep hygiene is consistency. Find out what works best for you and create your own sleep hygiene checklist to help you get the best sleep possible each night. 

How much sleep do I need?

The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person. However, it is suggested that between 7-10 hours

is necessary for your average adult. This depends on the individual.