What is sleep hygiene?

Great sleep can improve your physical and mental health and is associated with a decreased risk of disease. One way to help set yourself up for a good night’s rest is by practicing sleep hygiene.

As complicated as it might sound, sleep hygiene is a relatively easy concept. It involves creating positive habits that help you to get high-quality sleep every night, ideally 7-9 hours, and includes going to bed and waking up at consistent times. For good sleep hygiene you follow a nightly routine to make your bedroom environment free of disruptions and optimal for sleep.

Practicing a good sleep hygiene routine doesn’t just involve bedtime. The things that you do throughout the daytime can impact your sleep at night.

Creating a great sleep hygiene routine

Consider the behaviors that you have throughout the day and evening that can impact your sleep negatively. You can then work to change them into positive behaviors.

Optimizing your sleep hygiene requires you to create a bedtime environment that suits your body’s needs. Consider the temperature of your bedroom, the lighting, and the noise.

Think about what you do in the day that could be negatively affecting your sleep hygiene.  Do you exercise late at night? How much do you nap during the day? Do you drink coffee in the evenings? Are you still working when you get into bed?  Are you on your phone right up until you turn out the lights? All of these things can result in poor sleep.

Try incorporating some relaxing activities into your routine before bedtime, for example,  you may want to try some light stretching, yoga, reading, journaling, meditation or breathing exercises before bed to help prepare your mind and body for a good night’s sleep.