The quality of sleep we get each night affects how we look and feel each day, which is why sleep habits can impact overall health and lifestyle. Improving sleep hygiene is a simple way to ensure you get the sleep you need every night.
Good sleep hygiene increases our chances of restful sleep, which can improve our productivity, mental and physical wellbeing, and overall quality of life. Enhancing sleep hygiene means revamping your habits, routines, and bedroom environment. Even a few minor adjustments to your daily and nightly routine habits can significantly impact your sleep quality.
One of the most essential aspects of good sleep hygiene is having a consistent schedule with enough time budgeted for sleep. On average, adults should get at least seven hours of sleep each night. If you find that you struggle to get seven hours of quality sleep, try incorporating some of the tips below into your daily and nightly routine:
- Soak up the sun. From the moment you wake up, expose yourself to natural light. The morning sun can reset your circadian rhythm and tell your brain it’s time to start the day.
- Create a sleep-friendly environment to induce sleep. Regardless of your decor style, it’s important to consider the lighting and temperature of your room. Colder temperatures tend to be better for sleep but feel free to adjust the temperature to what feels best for you and your body. As for light, the darker your bedroom is, the better.
- Unplug an hour before bedtime. Sleep and technology generally aren’t the best combo. It’s best to avoid blue light exposure at least one hour before bed. Try to wind down with a relaxing activity such as reading or meditation.
- Minimize noise. Similar to how light and temperature affect your ability to fall asleep, so does noise. Try using earplugs or listening to meditative music.
- Practice regular exercise. Getting at least 20–30 minutes of physical activity each day can help you fall asleep more easily at night. It’s also been shown to decrease the number of times you wake up throughout the night, resulting in a deeper sleep.
It’s important to note that practicing good sleep hygiene is not a cure-all for sleep disorders. You may want to consider speaking with your doctor if you’re practicing good sleep hygiene and still not sleeping well.
