Women have generally more trouble sleeping well than men due to various hormonal changes at different stages of life. If you’re one of them, you might want to pick up some proven sleep hygiene strategies.
Let me ask you a question.
When was the last time you had a really good sleep? When you woke up well-rested, refreshed, and optimistic?
If you ask me, I have an indistinct memory of experiencing this blissful state. It lies somewhere in the hazy distance of the time-space continuum.
As for many of my friends, there came a time when my carefree existence gradually ceased. Apart from general grown-up worries that started keeping me awake at night sometimes, it was becoming a parent that threw me off of my sleep routine permanently.
For the entire first year after giving birth, I slept 3-4 hours a day. Ever since then, I can’t seem to get a restful sleep. I feel like I’m on a never-ending watch.
Then, there’s the reckoning with perimenopause and menopause. I haven’t reached that stage, but my friends tell the stories of constant hot flashes, day and night.
And, of course, there’s the perpetual rollercoaster of juggling the household, the family, the job.
Yes, men have trouble sleeping too. But because of the hormonal changes that happen within a woman’s lifespan, it’s much tougher to fight.
Why Proper Sleep Hygiene Is So Important
Getting better sleep is something everyone should focus on. Sleep is something we take for granted.
You might even brag about how little sleep you get. But this it the very last thing you should be bragging about. Especially if you want to stay healthy and happy. And, of course, a good night’s sleep is critical for your beauty.
Sleep is an integral part of your health and wellness. It gives you more energy, helps you stay focused throughout the day, makes you a happier and more balanced person.
When you neglect your sleep, you continue having less energy, less concentration, and lower productivity. Eventually, you can develop mental and physical effects of sleep deprivation. Like headaches, digestive issues, brain fog, and increased anxiety and depression.
This article is going to guide you through the process of improving your sleep through your daily habits. In other words, you’ll get to grips with sleep hygiene.
You will learn what sleep hygiene is and why it is so crucial to getting better sleep.
Keep reading to learn how you can get the best sleep ever by focusing on your habits.
Understanding Sleep Hygiene
You may have issues in getting a great night’s sleep, but not realize that insomnia may be directly related to the lack of sleep hygiene. By sleep hygiene, I mean a set of habits that support proper sleep.
While some people experience sleep disturbances because of stress, poor diet, and a variety of medical and mental health conditions, other people just need to do one simple thing – improve their sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene is defined as the habits and procedures that you follow to get a good night’s sleep to be fully alert the next day.
Unfortunately, too many people do not have strong habits in place to maximize their rest. Consider this simple list of ways that you can use to improve your sleep hygiene dramatically.
What is Sleep Hygiene?
Sleep hygiene is all about your habits and practices that can improve or derail your sleep. These are the habits you might not even think about. You might not realize how certain habits affect your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
Think about what you do shortly before bed. Maybe you have a bath or shower, brush your teeth, listen to music or watch TV. These are all habits that you probably do every night, without thinking about it.
Some habits are great and can encourage good sleep. But others can actually keep you from falling asleep on time, and disrupt your sleep rhythm, causing you to get out of deep sleep multiple times a night.
This often causes fatigue and sluggishness throughout the day.
Sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices and habits that are necessary to have good nighttime sleep quality and full daytime alertness.
If you are struggling with fatigue during the day, then you probably need to work on your sleep hygiene.
Simple Sleep Habits to Start with
Before getting too involved in changing your entire routine, it’s good to start small.
Just change a few habits and upgrade your sleeping environment to start improving your sleep overall.
Here are some simple sleep habits to start with:
1. Invest in Good Sleeping Equipment
To start with, stop sleeping anywhere but your bed. Get used to turning off the television in the living room and getting off the couch so you can head to your bedroom. Sleeping on the couch might seem restful, but you probably wake up multiple times a night. Especially if you leave the TV on.
You also want to get a better mattress and bedding if it’s a little outdated. Without a doubt, purchasing a comfortable mattress can significantly improve the quality of your sleep every night.
In addition, don’t be afraid to place extra pillows in your bed to add to the level of comfort you experience when it is time to sleep.
It’s also recommended to wash all of your sheets and pillows at least once a week to keep allergens and dust to a minimum in your room. If you suffer from allergies of a kind, using hypoallergenic bedding materials can really improve your ability to rest well.
Getting some shut-eye is much easier with the right sleeping equipment in a pleasant environment. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that using eyeshades, earplugs, blackout curtains, white noise machines, humidifiers, and other equipment can make your room a more relaxing zone.
2. Get Some Exercise
If you want to improve your sleep hygiene, you should consider exercising more.
Multiple studies show that working out every day, even for 10 minutes, can help your body become more prone to sleep later.
However, avoid strenuous exercise before sleeping at night because it has the opposite effect.
Try some light yoga or a simple stretching routine, and it will help you sleep soundly. If you enjoy cardio, schedule it for a few hours before your normal bedtime.
3. Develop a Sleep Routine
A great way to ensure that you fall to sleep at the proper time every night is to develop a sleep routine.
Before bed, you may want to take a long shower or a hot bath with aromatic oils to release stress and become drowsy.
You can follow up by reading an interesting book or listening to some peaceful music to prepare yourself to go to sleep.
You can also write or meditate to clear your mind of any thoughts that prevent keep you from entering slumberland.
There is no right or wrong way to do this, as long as it is something you can keep up with.
4. Aim for Eight Hours of Rest
On average, many individuals do well with receiving anywhere from 6-8 hours of sleep per night. The exact amount of time for rest varies for each person.
Once you pinpoint how many hours it takes for you to feel adequately rested and rejuvenated, then you must plan accordingly.
Creating a sleep schedule that gives you ample time to get enough sleep is important for your livelihood and health.
5. Never Eat Late at Night
Do you know that if you eat too late in the day that your digestive issues can keep you up at night?
Doctors recommend that you should not consume anything past 8 pm each night. Otherwise, you run the risk of your dinner or late-night snack interrupting your precious sleep pattern.
If you chow down on fatty processed foods at weird hours of the night, your stomach may experience greater issues.
Not only can eating at a decent hour improve your ability to fall asleep, but your body benefits from fewer gastrointestinal issues during the day and night.
6. Avoid Stimulants
The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical school suggests that you should avoid foods that contain caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol if you want to get to sleep.
These chemicals are actually stimulants that can keep you up later at night than normal.
If you are looking for a nighttime tea, try chamomile or valerian tea.
How Your Daily Habits Dictate Your Sleep
What’s all the fuss about your daily habits and sleep hygiene?
Well, it’s important because what you choose to do (or not do) each day is affecting your mind, mental health, and ability to relax in the evening.
It might sound like fun to eat your favorite meal and follow it up with a few drinks, but alcohol is known to affect your sleep.
It can feel like you get better sleep after drinking alcohol, but you are never fully rested. This is why you often wake up feeling like you were hit by a truck.
7. Developing Good Daily Habits
Keep in mind that not all habits will seem like they help with sleep. However, by improving your overall health and wellness, you encourage good sleep at the same time.
Don’t feel like you need to change everything at once – just one simple change at a time will make a drastic difference.
If you’re not sure where to start, try the following as soon as possible:
- Shut off your phone and television when you are going to sleep.
- Meditate or write in a journal shortly before bed.
- Change your bedding or upgrade to something more comfortable.
- Listen to soft music in the evening instead of something that stimulates your mind.
- Find more relaxing, quiet activities in the evenings, such as reading or taking a bath.
- Add physical activity during the day to increase how tired you are at night.
8. The Importance of Unplugging
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to unplug at night. This can be hard to do since you are used to being always attached to your phone, but it causes a lot of distractions.
If family and friends are bound to contact you at all hours of the night just to chat, turning off the tech can be a real sleep-saver. Shutting off the television helps you get to sleep faster, so you won’t be tempted to binge-watch your favorite shows after dark.
Embrace the idea of a good night’s sleep because it can only benefit you. Not only can proper sleep improve your work and academic performance, but it can also make you a livelier person to be around.
Creating a New Nighttime Routine
Part of practicing good sleep hygiene and changing your sleep habits is to have a nighttime routine.
This might seem silly, but it can make all the difference when it comes to getting a good nights’ sleep.
Here are some tips for creating a good nighttime routine:
9. Start Winding Down Ahead of Time
Your nighttime routine should start a few hours before it is time for bed. You want to have an approximate time for going to sleep each night, as long as your work schedule allows it. This makes it easier to create a routine that works well for you.
About 1-2 hours before you intend to go to sleep, start winding down. This should include turning the volume down on any electronics, switching over to relaxing activities, and cutting off the snacks and drinks (see below). This extra time allows your body and mind to prepare for bed.
10. Plan Relaxing Activities
Your nighttime routine should include relaxing, quiet, restful activities. While they can vary based on the person and your own preferences, these activities might include:
Writing in a journal or planner – Writing in a journal or planner allows you to check in with yourself, cross items off your to-do list, and empty your mind of worries from the day so you aren’t lying in bed all night thinking about it.
Taking a bath or shower – Even if you take a shower in the morning, consider adding it to your evening routine as well. This is going to help you relax with a combination of hot water and any essential oils or aromatherapy body products you decide to use.
Meditating – This is an amazing way to relax your mind and thoughts before bed. If you struggle with sleep due to stress, you definitely want to add meditation to your routine.
Reading – Reading in bed can help to make you tired but choose something that doesn’t stimulate your mind too much or cause you to want to finish the book before you go to sleep.
11. Stop Eating or Drinking Before Bed
You also want to be careful about eating or drinking too soon before bed. Too much water or other liquids could cause your sleep to be interrupted by using the restroom, while food can cause indigestion or acid reflux.
Consistency is Key
The most important thing with your sleep hygiene is to be consistent in these habits. The longer you keep up with healthier habits and participate in your nighttime routine, the more effective it is going to be for improved sleep.
Getting Started
Choose a bedtime. To start with, choose a bedtime that works with your schedule. At the very least, go to bed at the same time every workday, so that on those nights, you know you are giving yourself plenty of time for good sleep.
Create your nighttime routine. Using the tips above, add some activities to your nighttime routine that are good for your body and mind, and help you relax to fall asleep faster.
Improve your daily habits. It isn’t just habits before bed that help you sleep, but during the day as well. This includes reducing caffeinated beverages, eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and working on reducing your stress and anxiety.
Disclaimer:
This article was written by Zuzana Halliwell. I am not a doctor or mental health professional and cannot be held liable for the information written here. This article is meant to provide information to help you get better quality sleep. For medical assistance, please seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
