Unlock the power of sleep with good sleep hygiene

If you are looking to improve your sleep (and enjoy the benefits in your life), sleep hygiene is a good place to start. While the term “hygiene” may make you think of having a shower or brushing your teeth, sleep hygiene is less about soap and water or toothpaste and more about a holistic approach to your sleeping habits.

What is sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene encompasses what happens both in and out of the bedroom. A conducive sleep environment cannot make up for unmanaged stress or tapping away at the laptop finishing last-minute reports right up to the minute you fall asleep. You need to consider how to target good sleep throughout your day.

All successful sleep strategies should encompass:

• Creating a comfortable sleep space – one that is free of distractions
• Establishing a relaxing pre-bedtime routine
• Sticking to a steady sleep schedule
• Embracing healthy habits, such as good nutrition, hydration and exercise throughout the day

When these are all in place, you are on the right track.

Why is sleep hygiene important?

Good quality, regular sleep is crucial to your mental health and well-being. While forming good habits can seem time-consuming and tedious, the hazards of bad sleep habits can lead to sleep deprivation and all the health-related dangers that come with it.

How to spring clean your sleep routine

It’s all about finding what works for you. If you take concrete steps to build habits that make sleep a priority, you should hopefully see improvements in just a short time.

Here are a few suggestions to help:

• Stick to a wake-up time: even if your schedule is a little erratic, by waking up at the same time each day, you are teaching your body what it can expect.
• Choose to sleep: calculate how much sleep you need based on what works for you – aim for between 7 and 9 hours and then keep your wake-up time in mind when you commit to social events.
• Nap when you need to: keep it short and do it early enough so that it doesn’t interfere with your night-time sleep routine.

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