Sleep Hygiene
Sleep Hygiene: Better Habits = Better Sleep
Try to employ these techniques consistently into your sleep schedule for several weeks and you should feel the results:
- Clean up the sleep environment… the bedroom
- Keep it dark
- Get rid of or minimize noise
- Consider “white” noise like a fan to drown out background sounds (Hotels incorporate this into every room… why are all hotel air conditioners/thermostats consistently noisy? To suppress background noise
- Turn off the TV or banish it from the bedroom
- Research has shown kids who use TV to fall asleep have increased sleep fragmentation
- Dress appropriately
- Loose, comfortable nightwear to allow body heat to dissipate
- Upgrade your mattress
- Make certain it is comfortable and of reasonable firmness to support your back and neck
- NO one particular brand is recommended…only personal preference
- Shop for a mattress at the end of the day…you may feel reasonably comfortable in the morning but aches and pains tend to build up during the day and you want to account for that when mattress shopping (that is, lay down and try it out)
- Careful of working out or taking a hot bath/shower prior to bed
- Physical activity or bathing increase core body temperature which tends to be awakening.
- On average it takes 3 hours for your core body temperature to fall…which is sleep promoting
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol
- Both of these within 4-6 hours of bedtime can disturb the ability to fall asleep or achieve deep, recuperative sleep
- MOST IMPORTANT… maintain a consistent bedtime and arise time