Paying attention to sleep hygiene is one of the most straightforward ways that you can set yourself up for better sleep. Strong sleep hygiene means having both a bedroom environment and daily routines that promote consistent, uninterrupted sleep. Keeping a stable sleep schedule, making your bedroom comfortable and free of disruptions, following a relaxing pre-bed routine, and building healthy habits during the day can all contribute to ideal sleep hygiene.
Here’s how you can maintain a strong sleep hygiene :
- Set a schedule – Establish a regular sleep schedule every day of the week. Don’t sleep more than an hour, even on your days off.
- Don’t force yourself to sleep – If you haven’t fallen asleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something calming. Read a book, draw, or write in a journal. Avoid computer, TV, and phone screens, or anything else that’s stimulating and could lead to becoming more awake.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine – Consuming caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine can affect your ability to fall asleep and the quality of your sleep, even if they’re used earlier in the day. Remember, caffeine can stay in your body for up to 12 hours, and even decaf coffee has caffeine.
- Avoid napping – Napping during the day will make sleep more difficult at night. Naps that are over an hour long, or those that are later in the day, are especially harmful to sleep hygiene.
- Only use your bed for sleeping – If your body learn to associate your bed with sleep, you’ll start to feel tired as soon as you lie down. Using your phone, watching TV, or doing other waking activities in bed can have the opposite effect, causing you to become more alert.
- Exercise and eat well – A healthy diet and exercise can lead to better sleep. However, avoid strenuous exercise and big meals for 2 hours before going to bed.
- Sleep in a comfortable environment – It’s important to sleep in an area that’s adequately quiet, comfortable, and dark. Try using an eye mask, ear plugs, fans, or white noise if necessary.
Here are some tips for technology free sleep > https://empress2inspire.blog/2021/01/25/tips-for-technology-free-sleep-in-2021/
Reference : https://www.therapistaid.com/images/content/worksheet/sleep-hygiene-handout/preview.png
Great tips! Thanks for sharing 💙
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Most Welcome. Your daily routines – what you eat and drink, the medications you take, how you schedule your days and how you choose to spend your evenings – can significantly impact your quality of sleep. Even a few slight adjustments can, in some cases, mean the difference between sound sleep and a restless night. Completing a two-week sleep diary can help you understand how your routines affect your sleep.
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Great advice
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Glad you liked the post. The term “sleep hygiene” refers to a series of healthy sleep habits that can improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. These habits are a cornerstone of cognitive behavioral therapy, the most effective long-term treatment for people with chronic insomnia. CBT can help you address the thoughts and behaviors that prevent you from sleeping well. It also includes techniques for stress reduction, relaxation and sleep schedule management.
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In fact, I need to follow your tips in order to sleep well in the night. I have even lost weight due to my poor sleep pattern. Even when I feel sleepy at night I still find it difficult putting of my TV.
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Did you know, the bright light from your electronic devices trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime again. The problem with these devices is the blue light they use, it’s the strongest wavelength of light and is perceived as sunlight by your brain9. Try to stop using these devices an hour before you head to sleep. Try aromatherapy and meditation.
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A-ha no wonder I sometimes watch TV and don’t even realize it’s very late. Thanks for the education. I will try ur recommendation.
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Most welcome
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Thank you 😀
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Most welcome Loku. Ever found yourself sitting in bed with your laptop or paperwork in your lap, trying to cram in that last piece of work before a deadline? Perhaps, you spent the evening in the gym, trying to find time for the workout you missed earlier that day?
Doing strenuous or stressful activities with 3 hours of bedtime can also disrupt your sleep.
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I am a lazy guy who loves reading your blogs on 😃wonderful topics. I hope your blogs are going to change my life one day.
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Wow I hope so too.
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Very much required to have a healthy life.
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Yes indeed Kritika. Getting good, regular sleep is important for mental and physical health1, while good sleep hygiene ensures you get a better, more restful night’s sleep. When we have a good night’s sleep, we feel more energised, more productive, happier and feeling at our best. Sleep hygiene also plays an important role in maintaining our health and preventing the development of chronic conditions associated with poor sleep, such as cardiovascular disease, stoke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers2.
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Get advice.❤️
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Thank you. I am glad you found the post useful. Sleep hygiene, like most things in life, requires daily maintenance and care. Make sure to create a routine and stick with it every day. Improving your sleep is the most important thing you can do for your overall health, so you want to give it the proper amount of attention each day and ask “what is a good SleepScore?” to find areas of improvement. Stick to these sleep hygiene tips, and before long you’ll start feeling the benefits of great rest on a regular basis.
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Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you for sharing.
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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Thank you for sharing.
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Always a pleasure to share your posts with followers, Dear! Hope you are having a great weekend!
xoxox 😘💕🎁🌹
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Garima,
You have the best practical posts. Thank you. Yes, sleep is a big deal especially with a person’s overall health issues. There are certain things that I love to study about and put into practice. This is one of them.
Thank you,
Gary
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Thank you Gary. As a physician, I feel its my responsibility to share practical steps. Good sleep hygiene is important because of how crucial getting good sleep is for your mental and physical health, as well as your overall quality of life. Your behaviors during the day — not just before you go to bed — can affect how well you sleep.
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This was great information, I shared it with my family! Thank you 😊
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Sleep hygiene refers to healthy sleep habits. Good sleep hygiene is important because of how crucial getting good sleep is for your mental and physical health, as well as your overall quality of life. Your behaviors during the day — not just before you go to bed — can affect how well you sleep.
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This is so true, thank you for the valuable information😊
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Most welcome Kamina.
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Thanks for sharing those amazing tips😊
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Most welcome. Sleep hygiene refers to healthy sleep habits. Good sleep hygiene is important because of how crucial getting good sleep is for your mental and physical health, as well as your overall quality of life. Your behaviors during the day — not just before you go to bed — can affect how well you sleep. Your food and drink choices, schedule, evening routine, and many other activities all play a part in your ability to sleep.
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Other tips for healthy sleep that I do:
Drink a glass of warm milk before bed. (Keep in mind the quality of milk here is very important, learn the difference of high quality and low quality milk)
Or
Have a glass of 100% cold-pressed juice or a fruit smoothie. (Same thing as I stated with the glass of milk, know your product to the best of your ability.)
If possible, try to the best of your ability to get as many hours of sleep in before 12pm. For example I try to go to sleep between the hours of nine and ten o’clock and wake up between five and six AM.
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These are all good tips Jay. Thank you for sharing.
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thanks for the advice, really appreciate it🙂😃
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Most welcome
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I am almost giving up on scheduling my sleeping time. I always get distracted and end up sleeping 2hours later. Those tips are helpful though. I shall try reading a book not on my phone, but a hard copy before my scheduled sleep time. I hope it helps.
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I hope they do. Sleep is very important
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Great one! Keep writing.
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Thank you
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I really like this post. Not many people that I’m surrounded by understand the importance of a sleep hygiene. Thank you for sharing this!
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Most welcome.
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