sleep hygiene: what you need to know
Good sleep hygiene refers to a healthy sleeping environment and the habits that’ll relax you before bed.
Poor sleep hygiene can lead to insomnia, and potentially cause depression, anxiety and diabetes. Maintaining a bedtime routine, creating a restful environment and undergoing regular exercise will encourage good sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene is the term given to the healthy environment and bedtime habits that support you in getting quality sleep each night. From adopting a routine to creating a relaxing oasis, there are many ways that you can aid a restful night’s sleep.
To find out how, this article will explore sleep hygiene, giving you the benefits while addressing the risks of bad sleeping habits. We’ve even teamed up with our sleep expert, Kathryn Pinkham, who will offer her expertise on the topic too.
what our sleep expert says
Our sleep expert, Kathryn Pinkham, goes into depth on sleep hygiene and what you can do to solve it.
“Sorry to say this, but your poor sleep hygiene is probably what's ruining your sleep. If you’re struggling to sleep well, you’ve probably tried a few things to improve your sleep hygiene — changes to your habits and routines that are aimed at helping your body know it’s time to rest. Cutting down alcohol, reducing screen time, exercising, doing yoga, or having a chamomile tea — these things can help you feel better and they’re great for your wellbeing.
But here’s the truth: they won’t fix poor sleep on their own because they’re not tackling the root causes or poor sleep.
The real issue is that your body clock is out of sync and we end up putting too much pressure on sleep. In fact, trying to follow a long list of “perfect sleep rules” can make sleep even harder.
So here’s the key: do the things you enjoy before bed — yoga, sleepy tea or reading — because you like them, not because they are the key to sleep. Stop chasing perfect sleep. Let go of the pressure and allow your body to do the rest.”
why is sleep hygiene important?
Sleep hygiene affects both your physical and mental health. In a simple sense, it's about facilitating consistent quality sleep which is important for children and adults alike. As you may know, forming any type of good habit can support your health and wellbeing in the long run, so when you have a sporadic or unbeneficial routine, its likely your sleep quality will plummet. And with bad quality sleep, it’s likely your health will also deteriorate. Low quality sleep can be the main cause of several health problems, including the common insomnia, depression and anxiety, heart disease and even diabetes, to name a few. Not to mention, without strong cognitive function that allows you to concentrate and remember things, you’re more likely to experience injuries and lose productivity. But that isn’t to say that you can’t counteract poor sleep hygiene; in fact, it comes at little cost and virtually zero risk.
changes to your routine that encourage good sleep hygiene
As Kathryn Pinkham mentioned, making changes to your sleep routine won’t solve poor sleep hygiene alone. It’s about taking the pressure off yourself to get quality sleep and making changes that you enjoy and work for you. Here’s some examples of what you can do to encourage improvements to your sleep hygiene:
Maintain a regular sleep schedule: By falling asleep and waking up at the same time, during the week and at weekends, you’ll regulate your body’s internal clock which in turn regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to the changes in light.
Create a restful environment: From the lighting to your comfort, the role of your bedroom environment in sleep hygiene is key as you'll want to focus on making it as sleep-inducing as possible. Some of our recommendations include keeping the room dark, quiet and cool and using our deep sleep mattress topper paired with our re-balance wellbeing pillows for the ultimate slumber. If you need an extra helping hand, try a white noise machine for a soothing sound.
Limit exposure to screens before bed: Exposure to blue lights emitted by phones, tablets and computers can impact your body’s production of melatonin which is the number one hormone for helping you sleep. For direction, try limiting your blue light exposure an hour before you go to bed and watch as you reap the rewards.
Avoid large meals, caffeine and alcohol before bed: The idea behind going to bed is to relax, but with a caffeine boost and the digestive system working an extra shift before you hit the hay, this is going to be all the more difficult. Avoid any stimulants and only eat light foods before bed.
Incorporate a relaxing bedtime routine: As we’ve mentioned above, a bedtime routine can do wonders for your sleep hygiene. Reading, walking, taking a bath or practising meditation can all aid you in catching some quality z’s.
Enjoy regular exercise. Exercising regularly and taking in the morning sun can also help you get good sleep. Even if you’re not an active person, a simple walk can do the trick. You’ll soon realise just how much more tired you feel at night once your muscles require time to recover.
are naps good or bad for sleep hygiene?
Naps can aid your sleep hygiene if they’re brief and as early in the day as possible. You should aim for 20-30 minutes and shouldn’t choose to have a nap any later than 3pm to ensure your nap doesn’t dampen your chances of a good night’s kip.
differences in sleep hygiene recommendations for children vs adults
The biggest difference between sleep hygiene in adults and kids is that children require bedtime routines more, including earlier bedtimes and consistent schedules in the lead up. On the other hand, adults should focus on managing their lifestyle habits, whether that be limiting caffeine or being mindful of their stress levels, looking at ways to reduce them. Children are much more reliant on the environment and routine, whereas adults are more flexible in this area and should focus more on behaviours that could impact their sleep.
how to maintain sleep hygiene
Now you've made some choices that work for you, it's time to maintain this new lifestyle. Keeping up any type of habit or routine comes down to a little bit of self-discipline and a lot of gradual changes, so it doesn’t feel as daunting. Our top tips include:
Surround yourself with support: If you sleep with a partner, them adopting the same nighttime rituals as you will only motivate you further. If you sleep alone, why not check in with a friend who has the same goals?
Remind yourself: Positive affirmations and reminder notes can allow you to refocus on why you’re making these changes.
Build habits gradually: If you want to sustain this long-term, gradually make changes to your bedtime routine until it becomes second nature. This is also referred to as habit stacking.
Be self-compassionate: If you embarrassed yourself at work or didn’t go for your daily run, don’t beat yourself up about it. Patience is key.
We hope you’re clued up on what good sleep hygiene is and the importance of relieving pressure on yourself to improve it. Instead, making changes that you enjoy and work for you is the first step to improving your sleep hygiene. From switching up your bed set-up to avoiding a coffee before you get tucked in, the list goes on. If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to explore how going to bed too late impacts you.
