Ten Tips for Better Sleep Hygiene

How does sleep hygiene affect overall health? First, it's one of the best ways to improve sleep quality. These healthy sleep habits can also impact your hormones, mood, memory, and physical performance. But what can you do if your sleep hygiene needs improvement? And what are the best practices for building healthy sleep habits? 

If your bedtime routine and sleep hygiene need an overhaul, you've come to the right place. Sharing our expert sleeping facts and advice, we've compiled a list of 10 sleep improvement tips to boost your sleep quality. 

What is Sleep Hygiene?

So, what exactly is sleep hygiene, and why is it so important? When we talk about sleep hygiene, we're referring to  healthy habits and behaviors that can improve your sleep quality and quantity. For instance, practices like going to bed at the same time every night and limiting your light exposure can help you sleep better and longer. But sleep hygiene goes far beyond habits and behaviors at or near bedtime. Instead, proper sleep hygiene involves routines, like diet and activities, throughout the day.

Healthy sleep habits are crucial to your mental and physical health, ultimately affecting your overall quality of life. And it all starts with taking the first simple steps.

Ten Tips for Better Sleep Hygiene

1. Create a Relaxing Bedroom Environment

Falling and staying asleep is much easier when your bedroom is calm, comfortable, and free of disruptions. What makes a bedroom relaxing will differ for each sleeper, but here are a few ways to create an inviting sleep environment. 

• Block outside light and noise.To make your bedroom a quiet haven, wear an eye mask or hang blackout curtains or blinds to prevent light from interrupting your sleep. If you live on a noisy street, use earplugs or headphones to block bothersome noise. White noise machines and a large box fan can also drown out unwanted sounds. 
• Keep your bedroom cool.Sleep experts recommend keeping your bedroom at lower temperatures while you sleep, generally at around 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. That's because your body produces melatonin at night, which drops your body temperature and signals to your brain that it's time to sleep. 
• Invest in a new sleep system and bedding.A quality mattress that supports your body weight and sleeping position can improve your sleep quality, relieve back pain, and decrease stress. Your bedding matters, too. Certain materials, like Egyptian cotton and linen, are more breathable than others. The right pillows will also help to keep your head and spine properly aligned. MedCline provides a range of sleep solutions to help you sleep comfortably on your side while also reducing chronic pain, acid reflux, snoring, and other symptoms of sleep disorders.

2. Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule

Consistently going to bed and waking up at the same time every day will help support your body's  circadian rhythm, which is your body's cycle that signals when you should be sleeping or awake. Establishing a consistent sleep-wake schedule and  understanding sleep cycles is critical to developing proper sleep patterns. Here are a few tips on how to start and keep up a regular bedtime routine.  

• Make slow adjustments.Gradually change your sleep and wake times in small increments until you reach your ideal time. Slowly tweaking your sleep schedule versus overhauling it all at once will make it more likely you'll stick with it. 
• Allocate plenty of time for rest.Ensure you get the  recommended 7-plus hours of sleep each night in your new sleep schedule. 
• Stick to your set schedule.Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day—this means no sleeping in on the weekends! Limit the difference in sleep and wake times to an hour to not disrupt your rhythm. 

3. Increase Bright Light Exposure During the Day

Light is essential to regulating our circadian rhythms. It also affects our production of melatonin. In particular,  studies show that exposure to  bright morning light can help improve sleep quality. 

To take advantage of natural light in the morning—open the curtains and sit by the window as you sip coffee, sit on the porch while you have breakfast, or go for a walk around the block.

If you have limited access to natural light, use artificial light sources. Or try to maximize the natural light in your living space through home renovations, like adding a skylight or painting your walls a lighter color. 

4. Reduce Light Exposure in the Evening

Conversely, limit your exposure to light in the evenings, dimming bright lights and keeping your curtains closed or blinds drawn.  Blue light from electronic screens, in particular, can disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep. Screen time before bed can also keep our brains stimulated and alert, preventing deep, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep from occurring. 

In general, try to stop using screens at least an hour before bed. Set a screens-off time each night to power down and put your electronics away. Use a simple alarm clock instead of your phone and replace scrolling on social media with calming activities like reading, stretching, or journaling.

5. Avoid Caffeine Late in the Day

Drinking caffeine in large quantities or before bed can disturb your sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep. It can also cause you to sleep less and impact the quality of your sleep. That's because caffeine blocks a  sleep-producing chemical called adenosine, which causes us to feel sleepy the more it builds up. 

To reduce the risk of insomnia, avoid drinking caffeine later in the day, especially in the hours before bedtime. Research shows that caffeine can disrupt sleep even six hours after drinking it. Try drinking decaf coffee, herbal teas, or sparkling water instead for an evening beverage.

6. Try Hypnosis for Sleep

Some research shows that hypnotherapy may improve sleep.  One large study with over 500 participants showed that hypnosis significantly shortened the time it took to fall asleep. 

This technique uses verbal cues to guide participants into a deep, focused, and relaxed state. The main goal of sleep hypnosis is to help change negative thoughts and sleep habits so a person can rest better. It can be done under the guidance of a trained professional or using a recording, video, or app. Different approaches to sleep hypnosis include deep muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and storytelling. It can also be used with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

7. Avoid Long Naps During the Day

While naps can help you catch up on missed sleep and give you much-needed energy during the day, napping for too long can interfere with your circadian rhythm and make it  harder to sleep later at night. 

To avoid disrupting your sleep schedule, limit naps to 30 minutes and avoid napping after 3 p.m. Instead of napping in your afternoon slump, try deep breathing techniques or taking a break that gets you up and moving around. 

8. Don't Eat or Drink Late in the Evening

Understanding the  impact of diet on sleep is another way to establish healthy sleep habits. For instance, eating (especially big meals) too late in the evening can make it harder to digest your food and disrupt sleep. As such, sleep experts recommend allotting at least three hours between your last meal and your bedtime. 

Certain foods are also more likely to affect sleep quality when eaten before bedtime, such as: 

• Foods high in sugar and carbohydrates can spike your blood sugar and prevent you from falling asleep. 
• Fatty, spicy, and acidic foodsare common triggers for acid reflux, which can keep you up at night. 
• Alcoholic beveragesmay initially cause you to feel sleepy but can cause you to sleep less and worsen sleep disorder symptoms. 
• High-sodium foods, like chips, can also cause poor sleep quality. 

Conversely, going to bed hungry can keep you up at night. Swapping out the foods above with sleep-promoting snacks can satisfy your hunger without sacrificing sleep quality. Light food options include the following:

• Bananas with almond butterhave magnesium, which may aid in sleep. 
• Fruits like kiwis, pineapples, oranges, and tart cherry juice may help promote melatonin production. 
• Unsalted nuts and seeds, like pistachios and pumpkin seeds, have the amino acid tryptophan, which can improve sleep. 
• Yogurt is calcium-rich and has B vitamins, magnesium, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) - all of which can aid sleep.

9. Exercise – But Not Before Bed

Another sleep improvement tip is incorporating more physical activity daily.  The role of exercise in sleep hygiene is to help release endorphins that make you feel good, reduce stress, and, ultimately,  improve sleep quality. It can also make you feel more tired, making it more likely to go to sleep at night. 

However, since exercise boosts your energy and makes you feel more alert, you'll want to give yourself plenty of time to work out before bedtime. Allow at least two hours before you go to sleep, or better yet, exercise earlier in the day. Instead, use the moments before bed for relaxing activities like taking a warm bath, meditating, or listening to an audiobook.

10. Rule Out Sleep Disorders

Consistent poor sleep could indicate an underlying health condition or sleep disorder. 

Characterized by the inability to fall asleep, insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. Stress, anxiety, depression, jet lag, and certain medications can all cause it to occur. Sleep apnea is another common sleep disorder. This condition causes you to stop breathing in short spurts during your sleep. 

If you suspect you may have a sleep disorder, consult with your doctor. They can refer you to a sleep specialist, set you up with medication, or help you build a plan that involves lifestyle changes for a better night's sleep.

Conclusion

Good sleep hygiene can improve your health, mood, and productivity. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple steps like adding more exercise to your day or blocking out light at night can help you reap the benefits of a better night’s sleep. 

Swapping out your standard pillow for a clinically proven sleep solution from MedCline is one easy way to incorporate healthy sleep habits. Unlike other wedges, our elevated pillows include a patented arm pocket. This innovation keeps you comfortably on your side while taking the pressure off your downed shoulder.  Reviewers like Rebecca say this setup helps reduce achy arthritic shoulder pain and even sleep apnea symptoms. “This wedge pillow is marvelous. I wear a ring oximeter on my finger, and I monitor my oxygen levels at night, so I have measurable evidence. My sleeping oxygen levels have not been dipping down into the 70s at all like normal using this pillow system!” she says. 

For more information about how our sleep solutions can help you sleep better on your side, head to our MedCline FAQs or reach out to our team of Sleep Specialists today!