Have you ever noticed that when you skip a night of sleep, you tend to be groggy and scatter-brained the next day? The lack of sleep also tends to make you feel hungry at smaller meals and can also lead to weight gain and health problems. Not getting enough sleep can make you feel cranky and fatigued, but it can also affect your behaviour.
Sleep disorders affect an estimated 1 in 3 adults in the UK, causing an individual to have trouble falling asleep, stay asleep, or sleep too much. This lack of sleep can lead to daytime sleepiness, irritability, depression, insomnia, and accidents. It can even lead to premature death.
The good news is that sleep problems are highly treatable, and there are several effective options to help. To help you sleep better tonight, we’ve put together this quick guide about sleep hygiene—a set of good habits that can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
1. Optimise your bedroom environment
Some useful tips include using trial and error to find out what room temperature best suits your body. There is no wrong way to sleep, although most people prefer slightly cooler than warmer rooms. If possible, open the windows in your bedroom to introduce fresh, cooler air throughout the night. Also, try wearing lighter clothing made of cotton during warmer nights.
Keep your bedroom tidy and clean. Dust mites, animal hair, and other allergens can all bother you when you're trying to sleep. If possible, have your bedroom deep cleaned every few months and consider using an air purifier to reduce allergens and improve the quality of air. Your mattress, pillows, and bedding should be allergen-free, as these can often be treated with chemicals that can cause allergic reactions. You should also consider using hypoallergenic mattress covers or pad on your mattress to keep dust mites away from your skin while you sleep.
2. Turn off the screens and light an hour before bed
While it’s not necessarily a good idea to sleep with your smartphone on the nightstand, it’s also not a good idea to have your phone near you while you’re trying to go to sleep. Studies suggest that exposure to light before bed can alter your circadian rhythm and lead to difficulty with falling asleep.
If you must use electronics before bed, try downloading a blue-light blocking app that will help filter out the harmful rays emitted by your devices.
3. Get enough exercise
Regular exercise can improve your quality of sleep by promoting physical and mental health and reducing stress. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous aerobic exercise three times per week for healthy adults.
Moderate intensity is any activity that keeps you from breathing too fast or feeling out of breath, like walking or swimming. Vigorous intensity is any activity that makes you breathe faster or feel out of breath, like running or playing football.
4. Plan your day the night before
This is so you reap the benefits of good sleep hygiene when it comes to falling asleep fast and staying asleep longer throughout the night. Your energy the next day can depend on how much you undisturbed sleep you had the night before, so pay attention to your routine.
Common activities that may disrupt your sleep include getting up for a pee break, having too much caffeine or alcohol (have no more than two cups of coffee or three glasses of wine), being stressed, having too little sunlight exposure, and being exposed to bright light at night.
5. Stick to a sleep schedule
Set your alarm clock to the same time every day to help train your body to fall asleep at around the same time every night and to wake up at around the same time every morning. It will also help you avoid oversleeping on weekends, when your alarm goes off, but you feel too tired to get out of bed right away.
6. Avoid large meals right before bedtime
Too much food in your stomach can make you feel uncomfortable when trying to go to sleep. Also, avoid eating too many acidic foods and drinks like coffee, tea, alcohol or sugary snacks before bedtime because they can make you uncomfortable when trying to fall asleep.
In conclusion, sleep hygiene is what you do naturally to help your body know when it’s time to sleep and time to wake up. You are keeping good sleep hygiene if you’re able to get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. And you get good sleep if you can fall asleep quickly at night and stay asleep through the night.
Think about these suggestions and try to incorporate them into your routine by paying attention to how much sleep you are getting when trying new things. However, if you're struggling with insomnia, we recommend talking to your GP for further assistance in formulating a therapeutic program that suits your needs. Good luck!
