Sleep Hygiene: Improve Your Sleep Quality and Health

Many people believe that getting a good night’s sleep is simply a matter of going to bed early and waking up early. However, sleep hygiene is much more than that. It’s a set of habits and practices that promote good quality sleep and improve overall health and well-being.

What is Sleep Hygiene?

Sleep hygiene is the set of habits and practices that promote good quality sleep. Good quality sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, as it helps to improve mood, boost immune function, and promote physical and mental recovery.

Importance of good quality sleep

Good quality sleep is essential for a wide range of physical and mental functions such as memory consolidation, mood regulation, and immune function. A good night’s sleep can make you feel refreshed, alert, and energized, and can help to improve your overall quality of life.

Unfortunately, many people struggle to get a good night’s sleep. Poor sleep habits, stress, and other factors can lead to insomnia, fatigue, and other sleep-related problems. In order to improve sleep quality, it’s essential to understand the importance of good sleep hygiene and how to promote it.

Are you having a good quality sleep?

By keeping an eye on the signs below, you can get a better idea of your sleep quality and make any necessary changes to your sleep routine to improve it.

1. Feeling refreshed and alert upon waking up: One of the most obvious signs of good quality sleep is feeling refreshed and alert upon waking up. If you wake up feeling groggy or drowsy, it may be a sign that you are not getting enough deep sleep or REM sleep.
2. Having regular sleep patterns: Another important sign of good quality sleep is having regular sleep patterns. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Irregular sleep patterns can disrupt the body’s internal clock and make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.
3. Not feeling excessively tired during the day: Good quality sleep should leave you feeling energized and alert during the day. If you find yourself feeling excessively tired or drowsy during the day, it may be a sign that you are not getting enough sleep or that your sleep quality is poor.
4. Sleep trackers: Sleep trackers are devices or apps that can be used to monitor your sleep patterns and identify any issues. They can track your sleep time, sleep stages, and movements, as well as other factors such as heart rate, noise, and temperature. Sleep trackers can also be used to track your sleep patterns over time and identify patterns or trends that may be affecting your sleep quality.

Additionally, using a sleep tracker can help you to monitor your progress and make more accurate adjustments to your sleep routine.

What might be affecting your sleep?

There are many different factors that can affect your sleep quality. Some of the most common include:

1. Caffeine intake: Caffeine is a stimulant that can stay in your system for several hours after consumption. Consuming caffeine too close to bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep and can also disrupt your sleep patterns.
2. Eating before bed: Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime can cause indigestion and make it difficult to fall asleep. Eating a light snack before bed can also disrupt your sleep because your body is working to digest food instead of relaxing.
3. Light exposure: Light exposure can affect the body’s internal clock and make it difficult to fall asleep. Blue light emitted by electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and computers, can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. To avoid this, it is best to avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before bedtime (preferably longer time), and use blue light filter or twilight mode on electronic devices.
4. Stress and anxiety: Stress and anxiety can make it difficult to relax and fall asleep. Stress can also disrupt your sleep patterns and cause insomnia.
5. Noise: Noise can be a major sleep disruptor, especially if it’s loud or sudden. Noise can be caused by various sources, such as traffic, construction, or people in your home. It is best to create a quiet and dark sleep environment and consider using earplugs or white noise to block out unwanted noise.

Small adjustments massive outcome

Small adjustments to your sleep habits can have a big impact on your sleep quality, and the good thing is, it doesn’t require much effort to apply the following adjustment in your daily routine.

Sun Light Exposure in morning

One of the essential adjustments that you need to improve your sleep quality is to get enough sunlight in the morning. The sunlight exposure in the morning helps to regulate the body’s internal clock and circadian rhythm, which controls the sleep-wake cycle. The sunlight exposure in the morning helps to signal to the body that it’s time to be awake and alert. While in the evening, the decrease of light signal the body to start producing melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy. By getting enough sunlight in the morning, you can help to regulate your circadian rhythm, which can make it easier to fall asleep at night and wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.

Kickstart your day by exposing yourself to natural sunlight or bright artificial light as soon as you wake up, especially if you are an early riser and the sun has not risen yet.

Your Caffeine Intake!

Try to avoid caffeine for at least six hours before bedtime. This means that if you go to bed at 10pm, you should avoid consuming caffeine after 4pm. However, it’s important to keep in mind that sensitivity to caffeine varies from person to person, so it may be best to experiment to find out what time is best for you to stop consuming caffeine.

Caffeine can be found in many different types of food and drink, including coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, and some medications.

Although some people claims that caffeine helps them to sleep, this can actually happen, it can actually lead to disturbed sleep and an inability to reach the necessary deep sleep stages that are crucial for obtaining good quality sleep.

Stop eating before bedtime!

It is recommended to finish your last meal of the day at least 2-3 hours before going to bed to give your body enough time to digest the food and avoid any discomfort. This will also help to keep your blood sugar levels stable and prevent any hunger pangs from waking you up during the night.

Eliminate bright light and Use Blue light filter!

To mitigate the impact of blue light on your sleep, you can use your phone’s blue light filter or dark mode at night. These features can reduce the amount of blue light emitted by your device and make it easier to fall asleep.

If you need to work behind a screen at night, you can also consider using blue light filter glasses or blue light filters on your device. These filters can reduce the amount of blue light emitted by your screen and make it easier to fall asleep.

You don’t need much light at night…

To create a dark and conducive sleep environment, it is best to turn off most of the light sources in your room, including overhead lights, lamps, and electronic devices. You can use candles, which emit a warm light that is less disruptive to the body’s production of melatonin, or dimmer switches.

Another way to reduce light exposure is by using blackout curtains or shades. These are designed to block out light from outside and can help to create a dark and quiet sleep environment. Additionally, you can use a good quality eye mask to block out any remaining light.

Set your room thermostat at 19 ^oC

The body’s temperature plays an important role in initiating and maintaining sleep. As we prepare for sleep, the body’s temperature starts to drop, and this drop in temperature signals to the body that it’s time to sleep. The body needs to cool down to initiate sleep, and this process is known as thermoregulation. A good temperature for sleep can be around (19°C).

Magnesium…

Magnesium is involved in the regulation of the body’s internal clock, and it helps to relax the muscles and nerves, which can make it easier to fall asleep. Low levels of magnesium can lead to insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Several studies have shown that magnesium supplementation can improve sleep quality. Magnesium can help to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, increase the amount of deep sleep, and reduce the number of awakenings during the night.