A Healthy Sleep Hygiene Routine Helps Mental Health
We’ve all been there: you lie in bed trying to find a comfortable position. The clock keeps ticking and hours pass as you struggle to fall asleep. And when you do finally drift off, it’s only a few hours until you need to wake up again. The day feels hazy and you find it hard to do everything you need to do.
It feels miserable to get caught in a cycle of bad sleep. Luckily, there are some simple things you can do to help yourself get good sleep. Sleep hygiene is as important as regular hygiene. And just like you wouldn’t skip showering and just hope to be clean, taking care of your sleep hygiene takes a little bit of effort. Here are some simple steps recommended by the CDC to help you develop your healthy sleep hygiene routine.
1. Set a Bedtime — and stick to it!
If you know you feel your best after seven hours of sleep, choose a bedtime that’s about seven hours before you need to get up in the morning. Then go to bed at that time every night. Will you have late nights from time to time? Yes. Should you go to bed on time every other night? Also yes! There’s science behind this advice. Your body begins to make certain hormones that help you feel sleepy and drift off at night time. Sticking to a regular bedtime helps your body start to wind down in preparation for a night of good sleep.
2. Set the mood…for sleep
Dark, quiet rooms lead to better sleep. Block out light from your windows with room-darkening curtains if necessary or use a sleep mask. Get rid of any devices like screens or clocks that emit light. Keep your room cool. Your body temperature rises overnight and keeping your room temperature at 68 degrees or less will reduce the chance of waking up because you’re too warm.
3. Exercise=Better Sleep
We know exercise is good for our physical health, but it also can lead to better sleep. Be active during the day — but not too close to bedtime — and you might just fall asleep more easily and sleep deeply. Exercise can release stress, lessen muscle tension, and help alleviate anxiety. All of that can mean you fall asleep faster and feel better in the morning!
4. Skip the caffeine and alcohol
Pass on your afternoon coffee or that after-dinner drink to give yourself the best chance to drift off easily. Caffeine sticks around in your system for a long time — 8 hours or more! — after your last sip of coffee or tea, so skip it after noon. And while alcohol can make you feel sleepy and relaxed right away, it can make you feel restless or anxious hours later. That leads to interrupted sleep. If you do have a drink in the afternoon or evening, stick to one drink and finish it well before your bedtime.
5. Banish screens from the bedroom
Many of us take our phones to bed and scroll until we can’t scroll anymore. Even with a blue light filter, all that information can be too interesting and stimulating for your brain to wind down. Get into the habit of staying away from screens for at least an hour before your bedtime. Stop all that stressful scrolling and try reading a book, doing gentle yoga or meditation, writing in a journal, or basically anything that is not trying to answer emails, checking Instagram, or taking quizzes about which Hogwarts house you’re really in. Make your bedroom a screen-free zone and get to sleep more easily.
If you struggle with sleep sometimes, you are definitely not alone. Make this the night you start a new sleep hygiene routine. Better sleep is possible. You will thank yourself in the morning!
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