Why is good sleep hygiene so important?
You might be wondering why I talk so much about sleep. I honestly believe that good sleep one of the essential components to being healthy. During sleep our body repairs, heals, grows and rests. Our brains will be healthier with more sleep because cerebral spinal fluid is pumped more quickly throughout the brain while we sleep. This fluid helps to clear out waste products from our brain cells. Also, during sleep our brain processes and organizes memories then stores them in “files” for us to retain and reference later. Our hearts literally rest by reducing heart rate and blood pressure during sleep. Our hormones are also affected by the amount of sleep deprivation as well as appetite, weight, stress control, decision making and so much more! Sleep, or lack of sleep, affects SO much!
Sleep hygiene is a general term for a variety of healthy habits that allow for more restful and higher quality of sleep.
Today I’m going to share with you some of the most effective habits to help us have a more restful night of sleep.
1. Maintain a regular wake and sleep pattern seven days a week to set and keep the body’s internal clock. It’s best if we can go to sleep and wake about the same time each day.
2. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine for four to six hours before bedtime.
3. Turn your bedroom into a sleep-inducing environment. We sleep better in a quiet, dark and cool environment (about 66 degrees is optimal).
4. Establish a relaxing pre-sleep routine to wind down from the day about an hour before bed. For example reading a paper book, journaling, taking a bath or meditation.
5. Turn off all electronics at least one hour before bed (computers, phones, tablets). This is why I recommended the paperback book! The blue light emitted from electronic devices (and energy efficient bulbs) will disrupt our normal circadian rhythm and melatonin production. This causes our brains to remain alert when we should be winding down at night. This is a simple way to help ourselves have better sleep.
6. Finish eating a several hours before bed.
7. Regular exercise can help us fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. It’s best to do vigorous exercise early in the day, or at least three hours before bed. Yoga or a relaxing exercise done right before sleep may help us relax also.
8. Try using a white noise machine or app and even a fan. White noise works by reducing the difference between background sounds and a “peak” sounds, giving you a better change to sleep through a louder sound undisturbed.
So far, I’ve adopted a few of these good sleep hygiene practices. I don’t have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. I struggle with “turning it all off” at the end of the day. My brain tends to work overtime at night and I struggle with making myself stop and go to bed. So this has become my newest mission – getting more, higher quality sleep!
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