In this highly chaotic and busy world, where people have no time to eat and rest, a peaceful, non-chaotic good night’s sleep can often feel luxurious. When you get proper sleep, you wake up energized and ready to tackle all the challenges that come your way with a smile on your face. If you’re not able to get quality sleep, you may feel irritated and lazy all day, which also impacts your work quality. Incorporating sleep hygiene tips into your life is the key to unlocking the dreamy nights we all crave. It encompasses good habits and daily practices that promote a healthy sleep environment, helping you drift off more easily and wake up feeling refreshed.
Here, we have provided you with a guide through which you can unlock the 6 secrets of effective sleep hygiene tips that can transform your nighttime routine and improve your overall well-being. So, are you ready to say goodbye to those twisting and turning sleepless nights and hello to rejuvenating sleep? Let’s dive in!
What is Sleep Hygiene And Why is it Important?
Healthy habits or routines, personal behaviors, and environmental factors that you develop and incorporate into your lives to get a stress-free and deep good night’s sleep are referred to as Sleep Hygiene. According to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one out of three people in the United States don’t get enough sleep which causes sleep deprivation in around 33% of the adult population.
Recent studies have shown that people who sleep less than seven to eight hours are highly exposed to Alzheimer’s disease which is caused by the accumulation of toxins in the brain due to lack of or disturbed sleep patterns. People who suffer from chronic sleep disorders are more likely exposed to conditions such as Hypertension, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and more. Yes, with the quantity, quality of sleep also matters. Setting the mood and practicing healthy sleep hygiene tips for a restful night is very crucial.
Here are the 6 Healthy Sleep Hygiene Tips:
1. Maintaining a Consistent Sleep Schedule
“Sleep early, wake up early; you must have heard this from your parents and teachers all the time.” But have you thought about why they always say this? Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is crucial for everyone. The idea behind following a standard bedtime and wake-up time is that, by keeping consistent timing, you’re essentially training your body and circadian rhythm—also known as the biological clock—to go to sleep and wake up at appropriate times. When your body gets used to going to bed and waking up at the same time, you’ll be on a proper schedule to fall asleep faster without tossing and turning and wake up more refreshed without hitting the snooze button.
2. Make a Comfortable Sleeping Environment
Creating a soothing environment for sleep is also considered an essential part of good sleep hygiene tips. Our bedrooms are personal spaces where we find comfort, so they should be used only for sleeping purposes rather than as a movie place, dining area, or workspace because these activities promote sleep disruption and can reduce the quality and quantity of sleep. It is always recommended that one or two hours before going to bed, do not use electronic gadgets such as cell phones, and laptops, the blue light these gadgets emit is considered very harmful to your eyes, and it can also hamper sleep.
Always use clean and comfortable pillows and mattresses. Using dim or warm lights over bright lights during the night can enhance the quality of sleep because they are soothing to your eyes. Always keep the temperature of your room on the cooler side viz between 15-20 degrees Celsius because a cooler environment promotes a natural drop in body temperature that occurs during sleep, helping you fall asleep faster and experience more restful sleep.
3. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
We follow different routines, whether it’s an exercise routine, diet routine, skincare routine, or many others, but very few people follow equally important nighttime routines. Creating a relaxing self-care bedtime routine can significantly boost the quality of our sleep. After setting up a comfortable sleeping environment, you should start your nighttime routine, which may include taking a hot shower, doing your night skincare routine, applying essential oils to your body, massaging your feet, and wearing a comfortable nightdress to feel good.
Reading a fictional novel or journaling can help you clear negative thoughts from your mind, leading to a stress-free sleep. Try incorporating bedtime yoga and stretching, as they promote better sleep quality. You can also listen to slow music, which helps you focus on the present moment rather than a stressful environment.
4. Be Mindful of Eating Habit During Bedtime
Health professionals often say that going to sleep immediately after a meal is one of the worst things you can do for your body. It is generally recommended that you finish your dinner at least two hours before going to sleep. Eating light foods such as soups, salads, baked or grilled lean proteins, and stir-fried vegetables aids in better digestion, which can help prevent the discomfort of heaviness in the stomach when trying to sleep.
It is advisable to avoid the consumption of alcohol, oily, spicy, and junk foods late at night. If you feel hungry at late night and want a snack, there are multiple healthy options available, such as nuts and seeds, warm milk, a small cube of cheese, popcorn, a piece of dark chocolate, Greek yogurt with berries, edamame, or a banana with peanut butter. You just need to be mindful about your eating habits during bedtime.
5. Avoid Taking Daytime Naps
Napping, especially if done too late during the daytime, can interfere with your body’s natural circadian rhythm. This sleep disruption can make it harder to fall asleep at night and can lead to a decrease in the quality and quality of nighttime sleep. While short naps can be beneficial from stressful work, however, longer naps can help alleviate sleep deprivation, which can lead to a cycle of poor sleep quality and increased daytime fatigue.
6. Avoid Heavy Exercises or Going to Gym at Night
Heavy exercises or intense workouts close to bedtime can negatively impact your body and sleep quality. Any form of harsh physical exercise increases your heart rate, body temperature, and hormone levels, which makes it more challenging for you to fall asleep faster. When you exercise, your body releases a hormone called endorphins, which is responsible for boosting your energy levels and alertness, potentially keeping you awake longer. Moreover, intense workouts can lead to muscle soreness, making it uncomfortable to lie down and rest. Despite heavy exercises, you can do light exercises, yoga, and stretching that will help you achieve better quality of sleep.
Conclusion
Getting good sleep quality is very crucial for overall health and well-being, and incorporating and prioritizing these effective sleep hygiene tips in your daily life can significantly enhance your sleeping experience which also leads to an uplifted and refreshing mood, and it also helps to increase the work productivity, and overall quality of life that we all look for.
