Improve sleep hygiene

Sleep Hygiene Explained and 10 Tips for Better Sleep

Do you ever find yourself staring at the ceiling, wondering if you’ll ever fall asleep? Or maybe you wake up thinking it’s time to get up, but it’s actually 2 a.m.

If you’re in need of better sleep, it may be time to consider your sleep hygiene — and how your habits may be preventing you from getting the quality sleep you need.

Let’s get into what sleep hygiene is and the changes you can make to your daytime and bedtime habits to improve your sleep.

Sleep hygiene refers to healthy sleep habits. Good sleep hygiene is important because of how crucial getting good sleep is for your mental and physical health, as well as your overall quality of life.

Your behaviors during the day — not just before you go to bed — can affect how well you sleep. Your food and drink choices, schedule, evening routine, and many other activities all play a part in your ability to sleep.

If you don’t sleep well, you can take several steps, both during the day and before you go to bed, to improve your sleep.

That’s what sleep hygiene is all about: building various healthy habits to help you get a good night’s sleep.

Let’s take a closer look at 10 ways to improve your sleep hygiene for better sleep.

Try to go to sleep and wake up at about the same times every day — even on weekends. This reinforces your body’s sleep cycle (your internal clock), which can make it easier for you to fall asleep and wake up every day.

Sticking to a consistent schedule may also help reduce daytime sleepiness.

Make sure that the bedtime you pick allows you to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

A relaxing bedtime routine helps you unwind so you’re ready to sleep. And keeping a consistent routine helps your body recognize that it’s bedtime when you start the routine. This may help you fall asleep more quickly.

The best time to start your routine is about 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed.

Your routine can include whatever makes you feel most relaxed, unless it involves a device that emits blue light. Here are some ideas:

Take a warm bath or shower. Not only is the water relaxing in the moment, but the drop in your body temperature as you cool down afterward may make you feel sleepy.
Try some gentle stretches to help your muscles relax and release tension.
Spend a few minutes meditating to help calm your body and mind.
Try listening to some soothing music while you focus on your breathing.
Spend time reading a book, but try to stay away from electronic reading devices.

Avoid anything stressful or overly stimulating, like emotional conversations or working.

Electronic devices like your phone emit blue light, which can reduce the melatonin levels in your body.

Melatonin is a chemical that controls your sleep/wake cycle. When your melatonin levels dip, it can be more difficult to fall asleep.

Devices that emit blue light can also distract you, keeping your brain alert. This may make it harder to fall asleep.

You might think that not looking at your phone close to bedtime is enough, but keeping your phone near your bed can disrupt your sleep, even if you’re not aware of it.

The message notifications, buzzing, and light that can suddenly pop on in the middle of the night can wake you up momentarily, leading to an interrupted sleep.

As little as 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day can improve your sleep quality, as well as your overall health. And if you can exercise outside, that might increase the benefits even more, since exposure to natural light helps regulate your sleep cycle.

But if you can’t get outside, don’t worry. Even regular indoor exercise may help you sleep better.

Just avoid exercising within an hour or two of your bedtime. This can increase your energy levels and body temperature, which may make it harder to fall asleep.

If you want to do some type of activity later in the day, try doing stretches or yoga.

The effects of caffeine can last 3 to 7 hours after you consume it. This means that your afternoon cup of coffee may keep you awake and alert a lot longer than you’d like.

Although it’s usually best to limit your caffeine intake to the morning hours, keep in mind that everyone has a different tolerance to caffeine.

Some people may be able to stretch their consumption to midafternoon, while others might need to cut themselves off much earlier in order to fall asleep easily.

The less caffeine you consume, the more sensitive you may be to its effects.

A cool, dark, quiet room may help you fall asleep and stay asleep more easily.

For most people, a bedroom temperature between 60°F and 67°F (15.6°C and 19.4°C) is the optimal temperature for sleeping.

It’s also important to make sure you have a comfortable mattress, pillows, and bed linens. The more comfortable you are, the easier it may be to fall asleep and stay asleep. Want suggestions? Browse our market, filled with editor-trusted and expert-verified pillow and mattress recommendations.

If you’re a light sleeper or have noisy neighbors, a good pair of earplugs may help you sleep without being disrupted.

Also, if your bedroom gets flooded with too much light, you may want to consider using blackout curtains or an eye mask to keep your sleep environment as dark as possible.

Q: Can a mattress that relieves pressure points, such as a foam mattress, help people sleep better?

Anonymous

A: If you have pain in certain areas of your body, you may benefit from a mattress that relieves pressure points.

A mattress that can provide comfort and support will allow you to have a restful sleep.

The type of mattress and degree of firmness is based on personal preference. In general, an old mattress, more than 10 years old or with visible sagging, will not be comfortable or supportive.

A mattress that helps you maintain spinal alignment while you sleep is important to help the structures surrounding the spine relax and recover during sleep.

Spinal alignment is important to reduce back pain and maintain proper posture.

Angelica Balingit, MD, board certified, internal medicineAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.

When you have a comfortable bed, it might be tempting to use it for reading, working, talking on the phone, watching TV, or other activities.

However, it’s important to use your bed for sleep and sex only. This helps strengthen your brain’s association between your bed and sleep, making it easier to fall asleep.

Reading may be one way you relax before going to sleep, but even books can be disruptive to your sleep if they keep your brain alert. Try reading on the couch before moving to your bed instead.

If you’re not tired, avoid lying in bed while you toss and turn. Instead, try doing a relaxing activity until you start to feel tired, then head to bed.

If you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed, get up. Not being able to fall asleep may cause you to become frustrated, which can keep you awake even longer.

Once you get out of bed, do something to help you unwind, like reading on the couch, until you’re tired enough to go back to bed.

Napping during the day can make it harder to fall asleep later and may make you more prone to waking up during the night.

If you do need to nap:

Keep it to 30 minutes or less.
Avoiding napping later in the afternoon.

Napping may affect the sleep pattern of older adults more than younger people, but the extent of this is still unclear.

Thinking about things you’re worried about can keep you awake at night. To help prevent your worries from keeping you awake:

Write down your worries before going to bed to help get them out of your head.
If your to-do list stresses you out, write that down as well. Prioritize what you need to do tomorrow and the rest of the week, then try to relax.
Research suggests that a weighted blanket may help with anxiety and insomnia, and it may provide benefits similar to deep pressure therapy.
Try meditation before bed to help calm your mind.

Sleep hygiene is about having healthy sleep habits. Your behaviors, both during the day and around bedtime, can affect the quality of your sleep.

If you have a hard time falling or staying asleep, you can try several strategies to fall asleep faster — and stay sleeping for hours at a time. Most of these involve improving your sleep hygiene.

Sticking to a schedule, having a relaxing bedtime routine, exercising regularly, keeping your bedroom dark and at a comfortable temperature, and watching what you eat and drink can all impact the quality of your sleep.

If you continue to have issues with your sleep patterns or insomnia, be sure to follow up with your doctor. They can determine whether an underlying condition is causing your sleep problems and can provide the treatment you may need.

Sleep Hygiene Explained and 10 Tips for Better Sleep

Do you ever find yourself staring at the ceiling, wondering if you’ll ever fall asleep? Or maybe you wake up thinking it’s time to get up, but it’s actually 2 a.m.

If you’re in need of better sleep, it may be time to consider your sleep hygiene — and how your habits may be preventing you from getting the quality sleep you need.

Let’s get into what sleep hygiene is and the changes you can make to your daytime and bedtime habits to improve your sleep.

If you don’t sleep well, you can take several steps, both during the day and before you go to bed, to improve your sleep.

That’s what sleep hygiene is all about: building various healthy habits to help you get a good night’s sleep.

Let’s take a closer look at 10 ways to improve your sleep hygiene for better sleep.

Sticking to a consistent schedule may also help reduce daytime sleepiness.

Make sure that the bedtime you pick allows you to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

The best time to start your routine is about 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed.

Your routine can include whatever makes you feel most relaxed, unless it involves a device that emits blue light. Here are some ideas:

Take a warm bath or shower. Not only is the water relaxing in the moment, but the drop in your body temperature as you cool down afterward may make you feel sleepy.
Try some gentle stretches to help your muscles relax and release tension.
Spend a few minutes meditating to help calm your body and mind.
Try listening to some soothing music while you focus on your breathing.
Spend time reading a book, but try to stay away from electronic reading devices.

Avoid anything stressful or overly stimulating, like emotional conversations or working.

Electronic devices like your phone emit blue light, which can reduce the melatonin levels in your body.

Melatonin is a chemical that controls your sleep/wake cycle. When your melatonin levels dip, it can be more difficult to fall asleep.

Devices that emit blue light can also distract you, keeping your brain alert. This may make it harder to fall asleep.

You might think that not looking at your phone close to bedtime is enough, but keeping your phone near your bed can disrupt your sleep, even if you’re not aware of it.

The message notifications, buzzing, and light that can suddenly pop on in the middle of the night can wake you up momentarily, leading to an interrupted sleep.

But if you can’t get outside, don’t worry. Even regular indoor exercise may help you sleep better.

Just avoid exercising within an hour or two of your bedtime. This can increase your energy levels and body temperature, which may make it harder to fall asleep.

If you want to do some type of activity later in the day, try doing stretches or yoga.

The effects of caffeine can last 3 to 7 hours after you consume it. This means that your afternoon cup of coffee may keep you awake and alert a lot longer than you’d like.

Although it’s usually best to limit your caffeine intake to the morning hours, keep in mind that everyone has a different tolerance to caffeine.

Some people may be able to stretch their consumption to midafternoon, while others might need to cut themselves off much earlier in order to fall asleep easily.

The less caffeine you consume, the more sensitive you may be to its effects.

A cool, dark, quiet room may help you fall asleep and stay asleep more easily.

For most people, a bedroom temperature between 60°F and 67°F (15.6°C and 19.4°C) is the optimal temperature for sleeping.

If you’re a light sleeper or have noisy neighbors, a good pair of earplugs may help you sleep without being disrupted.

Also, if your bedroom gets flooded with too much light, you may want to consider using blackout curtains or an eye mask to keep your sleep environment as dark as possible.

Q: Can a mattress that relieves pressure points, such as a foam mattress, help people sleep better?

Anonymous

A: If you have pain in certain areas of your body, you may benefit from a mattress that relieves pressure points.

A mattress that can provide comfort and support will allow you to have a restful sleep.

The type of mattress and degree of firmness is based on personal preference. In general, an old mattress, more than 10 years old or with visible sagging, will not be comfortable or supportive.

A mattress that helps you maintain spinal alignment while you sleep is important to help the structures surrounding the spine relax and recover during sleep.

Spinal alignment is important to reduce back pain and maintain proper posture.

Angelica Balingit, MD, board certified, internal medicineAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.

When you have a comfortable bed, it might be tempting to use it for reading, working, talking on the phone, watching TV, or other activities.

However, it’s important to use your bed for sleep and sex only. This helps strengthen your brain’s association between your bed and sleep, making it easier to fall asleep.

Reading may be one way you relax before going to sleep, but even books can be disruptive to your sleep if they keep your brain alert. Try reading on the couch before moving to your bed instead.

If you’re not tired, avoid lying in bed while you toss and turn. Instead, try doing a relaxing activity until you start to feel tired, then head to bed.

If you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed, get up. Not being able to fall asleep may cause you to become frustrated, which can keep you awake even longer.

Once you get out of bed, do something to help you unwind, like reading on the couch, until you’re tired enough to go back to bed.

Napping during the day can make it harder to fall asleep later and may make you more prone to waking up during the night.

If you do need to nap:

Keep it to 30 minutes or less.
Avoiding napping later in the afternoon.

Napping may affect the sleep pattern of older adults more than younger people, but the extent of this is still unclear.

Thinking about things you’re worried about can keep you awake at night. To help prevent your worries from keeping you awake:

Write down your worries before going to bed to help get them out of your head.
If your to-do list stresses you out, write that down as well. Prioritize what you need to do tomorrow and the rest of the week, then try to relax.
Research suggests that a weighted blanket may help with anxiety and insomnia, and it may provide benefits similar to deep pressure therapy.
Try meditation before bed to help calm your mind.

Sleep hygiene is about having healthy sleep habits. Your behaviors, both during the day and around bedtime, can affect the quality of your sleep.

If you have a hard time falling or staying asleep, you can try several strategies to fall asleep faster — and stay sleeping for hours at a time. Most of these involve improving your sleep hygiene.

Sleep Hygiene - Sheba Medical Center

Whether your sleep hygiene will consist of beneficial, beneficial components or of harmful, destructive actions is up to you! However, if you want to sleep well, then you should learn the simple rules of sleep hygiene and follow them every day before going to bed.

Impaired sleep hygiene

Poor sleep habits can lead to poor sleep quality, which in turn causes inability to concentrate, irritability and poor health. How do you know if these habits are affecting your sleep?
Here are some signs:.

You often wake up at night.
You feel tired during the day.
You have difficulty falling asleep.

9 tips to improve your sleep hygiene

Good sleep is essential for everyone, regardless of age or health condition. To help you sleep well, the doctors at Sheba Medical Center in Israel have decided to share the following tips to help you improve your sleep:

1.

Keep a sleep schedule

Go to bed at the same time in the evening and wake up at the same time in the morning. Sleep and wake hours should be consistent, including weekends! So your body will relax on its own in the evenings and allow you to fall into a restful sleep. To comply with the regimen, applications for monitoring sleep will help you.

2. Create a calm environment

Use a white noise generator or smartphone apps that create a favorable background sound and drown out extraneous, disturbing sounds. Some people use plain earplugs and find them very effective in creating silence.

3. Sleep in a cool, dark room

The ideal temperature for falling asleep is around 17°C. Maintaining this temperature throughout the night will help you sleep well. It is very important to sleep in the dark, so use a sleep mask or curtains that block out light.

4. Spend your days in the light

Natural light during the day is just as important for sleep quality as darkening your bedroom at night. It plays a key role in establishing a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

5. Remember, the bedroom is for sleeping.

The bedroom is for sleeping. Your bed should be exclusively for sleeping and sex. You need a cozy environment that is not connected with any other activities such as talking on the phone or reading the news.

6. Do not watch TV or use a smartphone before going to bed

Many people put a TV in their bedroom, but we must remember that bright screens prevent us from falling asleep. In general, if a person uses gadgets (smartphones, tablets, e-readers or a computer) for one hour before bedtime, conflicting signals enter his brain. The blue light these devices emit makes our brains think it's daytime. If you absolutely need to look at your phone or tablet in bed, then be sure to use the night mode of your smartphone.

7. Avoid naps during the day

Naps during the day can be good for performance, but they can also interfere with sleep at night. If you need to take a short nap during the day, limit yourself to 20 minutes and stay awake after 4:00 pm.

8. Watch what you eat and drink before bed

A small, nutritious snack before bed can help you fight hunger. However, a large meal can cause heaviness in the abdomen, which will disturb your sleep. Some foods such as milk, rice, bananas, yogurt, oats, nuts, and cherries help you fall asleep. Others, such as caffeinated drinks, alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine, are stimulating and should be avoided within 4-6 hours before bed. Also, don't drink a lot of fluids before bed so that your bladder doesn't wake you up in the middle of the night.

9. Exercise

You will significantly improve your sleep if you exercise during the day - just 10 minutes of aerobics is enough. Be warned: do not exercise too intensely before going to bed , as such activity can put the body in an agitated state, and it will be difficult for you to fall asleep.

If all else fails, get up

If you can't fall asleep or stay asleep after waking up at night - don't panic! Close your eyes, relax and breathe deeply for about 20 minutes. If that doesn't help, get up and try to find another place to relax in the house. Otherwise, you will begin to associate the bedroom with a place of disappointment and hopelessness. Meditate, read a book, or engage in any other quiet activity that doesn't require bright lights. Don't turn on any gadgets!

Keep a sleep diary

If you follow all the sleep hygiene tips listed above and still can't improve your sleep, doctors recommend that you start keeping a sleep diary and consult with your doctor. Discuss your habits and routine with him, and consider alternative options, such as drug therapy, to help you get sound and healthy sleep.

Detailed tips, help and advice to improve sleep

Many people are looking for a "magic pill" that will relieve them of all stress and worries. Ideally, this pill should solve all their problems. It should make life better - easier, happier and more enjoyable in general.

Sleep hygiene: an explanation

Many people are looking for a magic pill that will relieve them of all stress and worries and help them calm down. Ideally, this pill should solve all their problems. It should make life better - easier, happier and more enjoyable in general.

Many people seek this elixir in the form of a new relationship, a better job, a better physique, or even a real medicine or drug. While some of these solutions can certainly improve your life, what if you had a more powerful magic pill right in front of you? A no-fuss, panacea, 100% free, all-natural magic pill available in unlimited quantities.

Of course, such a miraculous solution exists, and it is called "good sleep."

If you think this sounds too simple, think again! Sleep is a natural remedy for almost everything that bothers us. While sleep is critical to our physical health, it is also critical to our emotional and mental health. People who get enough sleep regularly are healthier, happier, and more adaptable.

Sleep solves almost every possible problem in life, but for most people it is also one of the most forgotten and uncultivated habits.

Who gets enough sleep?

While sleep experts talk about the undeniable importance of getting at least seven hours of sleep every night, an astonishing 35% of Americans regularly get less sleep.

In a sense, this is quite understandable. After all, you don't have to sleep to get through the day. You can fit in a few hours here and there. The fact is that the day is almost always easier, less stressful and generally more enjoyable if you get enough sleep. In addition, more sound sleep has been scientifically proven to help you live longer, healthier and happier lives in the long run.

How can you sleep better?

It all starts with developing and cultivating better sleep hygiene.

What is sleep hygiene?

Just as we all need to take care of our physical, dental and home hygiene, we must also take care of our sleep hygiene.

These can be defined as healthy habits and behaviors that together contribute to more regular and quality sleep. This includes healthy hydration habits. These sleep habits can include activities such as setting regular bedtimes, not using digital devices in the bedroom, and keeping a sleep diary. While individual sleep habits may vary, there are many standard sleep habits that can benefit almost all sleep hygiene practices by helping a person fall asleep more easily.

How much sleep do you need?

National Sleep Foundation experts recommend that people aged 18 to 64 get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.

Those over 64 may need less sleep, but only by a small amount. The recommended amount of sleep for such people is seven to eight hours each night.

Children also need more sleep than people 18 and older. Preschoolers ages 3 to 5 should get 10-13 hours of sleep each night. School-age children aged 6 to 13 need 9-11 hours of sleep every night. And teenagers aged 14 to 17 need 8-10 hours of sleep each night.

Children (especially newborns) usually sleep for most of the 24 hour period. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following sleep limits for infants and toddlers:

Newborns (0-3 months): 2-5pm night/day.
Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours night/day.
Toddlers (1-2 years old): 11-14 hours night/day.

How do you know if you are practicing good sleep hygiene habits?

With good sleep habits, a person should get the recommended amount of sleep each night to avoid serious sleep problems. Skipping a night or two here and there doesn't necessarily mean a bad sleep state. Getting enough sleep or having trouble sleeping, as well as falling asleep frequently and tossing and turning for long periods of time, or having trouble falling asleep, may indicate that sleep habits need to be examined more closely.

In particular, here are a few signs that can improve sleep habits and ensure restful sleep:

Staying up late and getting up early
Trouble falling asleep closer to sleep (waking for 30 minutes or more before falling asleep)
Regularly waking up at night without getting the required quality of sleep
Sleep disturbance: waking up during the night and unable to sleep for 20 minutes or more
Diagnosis "insomnia
Poor sleep patterns or lack of sleep
Lack of a regular sleep schedule

What causes poor sleep hygiene?

The causes of poor sleep can be both inevitable and removable. However, in most cases, poor sleep hygiene can be corrected or improved with a few simple changes to your sleep habits and daily routine.

Below we look at some of the most common avoidable and unavoidable causes of poor sleep hygiene.

Possible causes of poor sleep hygiene

Doesn't stay at bedtime or goes to bed at the same time every day
Caffeine intake closer to sleep
Exercising just before bedtime
Using gadgets before bed (smartphones, tablets, computers, etc.)
Watching TV in bed
Recreational drug use
Lack of sleep routine and good sleep practice
Not creating a favorable atmosphere for sleep
let worries and stress flood your mind before sleep (sometimes it's unavoidable)
Anxiety disorders
Nervous system "not in itself"
Irregular circadian rhythm

Most inevitable causes of poor sleep hygiene

Being a new parent
Excessive stress caused by life trauma, such as the loss of a loved one or the diagnosis of a serious illness
Overtime work

Do you feel that you have poor sleep hygiene and suffer from lack of sleep? Learn more about sleep deprivation and the science of sleep, or skip to the bottom of this page and go directly to Healthy Habits = Healthy Sleep: How to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene. There, you can learn how to improve your sleep habits for better rest, with results showing tonight.

What happens if you don't get enough sleep?

Above we described lack of sleep as regular lack of sleep (less than seven hours per night).

The peculiarity of sleep deprivation is that it is not a specific disease. Although it can be diagnosed, sleep deprivation does not have a well-defined set of symptoms and consequences. On the other hand, you will clearly see the negative effects of sleep deprivation if they happen to you.

This is another way to explain why we need sleep. We have already said that it is almost impossible to know for sure why we sleep. However, researchers and scientists can look at what happens when people don't get enough sleep and draw conclusions based on that.

What are the consequences of sleep deprivation?

Lack of sleep has both short-term signs and symptoms and long-term consequences.

Main symptoms of sleep deprivation

If you are worried that you are not getting enough sleep, it may be worth taking a look at your own behavior and trying to notice any of the following sleep deprivation symptoms. Also, if you're concerned that your child isn't getting enough sleep, look out for these symptoms:

Frequent irritability and mood swings
Regular feeling of sleepiness
Energy reduction
Frequent yawning
Desire to take a nap during the day
Forgetfulness and/or clumsiness
Feeling like you have a "fluffy" head
Increased appetite

Short-term effects of sleep deprivation

In the short term, after one or two sleepless nights, you may notice the following effects:

Increased chance of accidents (automotive, workplace or home)
Problems learning new concepts at school or at work
heavy mood (eg, being laconic and irritable with friends, family and colleagues)
Decreased sex drive
Clear signs of fatigue on your skin, especially on your face (bags under the eyes, skin laxity, dry skin)
Chronic forgetfulness: feeling of vagueness and inability to focus or concentrate for more than a few moments at a time
Loss of judgment or inability to make sound decisions that were made as a result of prudent, rational thinking (e. g., eating cookies for breakfast or driving without wearing a seatbelt)

Long-term effects of sleep deprivation

Long-term effects of sleep deprivation are more severe and may continue to worsen. You may notice the following effects of sleep deprivation if you experience sleep deprivation for weeks, months, or even years:

Weight gain is believed to be related to increased appetite as a result of lack of sleep
Depression and/or anxiety disorder, both of which can be caused by and adversely affect sleep deprivation
Increased susceptibility to disease and disease, which may be exacerbated by reduced immune system function due to insufficient sleep
Less sharp mind and worse memory due to the brain not having enough time to rejuvenate and consolidate memories (functions that are normally performed during sleep)

Illness and sleep

Research has shown that most people with insomnia also have at least one additional medical condition. Insomnia and other sleep disorders can be the cause of these diseases. Conversely, other health conditions can be the cause of insomnia and other sleep disorders.

The most common physical diseases associated with lack of sleep are:

Diabetes
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Irregular heartbeat
Heart failure
Stroke
Heart attack

Healthy habits = healthy sleep: How to improve sleep hygiene

Anyone can improve their sleep hygiene and healthy sleep habits in a variety of ways. It is very important to find what is right for you.

Below we will look at some basic principles for improving sleep. As well as a few specific suggestions on how to make sleep patterns more enjoyable and efficient.

Four sleep hygiene tips for better sleep

Below is a list of sleep hygiene tips for better sleep before we move on to specific tips and tricks.

1. It is important to prioritize sleep in your life.

First of all, remember that sleep should be a priority for you. It is true that you cannot do without sleep in life, but even here there is a lot of room for maneuver. Many people think that they can sleep four to five hours a night and it won't be a problem. Do not allow yourself such freedom of action. Make at least seven hours of sleep each night a priority for your overall health and well-being.

2. You need to figure out how much sleep you need.

Above we have described the recommended amount of sleep for people of different ages. However, it should also be noted that people often require different amounts of sleep depending on their genetics, lifestyle, and other behaviors. How to find out how much sleep you need optimally, we will discuss below when we discuss keeping a sleep diary.

3. Avoid being a "weekend warrior" when it comes to sleep.

In other words, if you tend to lose sleep during the week, don't try to catch up on the weekend. Sleep doesn't work that way.

It's okay to go to bed early or stay up late on the weekends, but don't rely on this extra sleep time to make up for sleep loss from Monday to Friday.

4. Remember that "better sleepers" invest in their sleep.

Many people take sleep for granted - and this, of course, is easy to do. But if you want to improve your sleep hygiene, it's important to invest some time, energy, and money into your sleep routine.

Twelve simple tips for maintaining a healthy sleep-wake cycle

Avoid bright lights in the bedroom and try to exclude any natural light
Using an eye mask helps block bright light
Blue light has been proven to promote sound sleep
Listen to your body clock
Avoid daytime naps
Reduce your alcohol intake
Exercise stimulates the desire to sleep
Introduction of a relaxing sleep regimen
Prohibit the use of electronic devices in the bedroom
Practice meditation or mindfulness to lower your levels of the stress hormone cortisol
Take a warm bath just before bed
Performing relaxation exercises

Sleeping too much

While sleep is important for maintaining health, relieving stress and promoting relaxation, too much sleep can negatively affect our lives. Ask yourself: "Why do I sleep so much?" and "What can I do to stop this?" You may be suffering from a sleep disorder, a condition that only a doctor can diagnose. If you think you're suffering from a form of sleeping sickness, you should see a doctor! If sleeping sickness is left untreated, it can harm you both physically and mentally.

Sometimes, when we feel tired, we tend to oversleep to make up for the missed rest. But sleep deprivation itself can lead to side effects. Headaches, back pain and neck pain caused by excessive sleep are not uncommon, which is why it is not recommended. To stay healthy, just stick to a strict sleep schedule. This will reduce the likelihood of side effects.

Choosing the right mattress and pillow

If you sleep on a mattress or use a pillow that is not suitable for you, your body type or the way you sleep (whether you sleep on your back, on your side or on your stomach), you need to make sure you have the right tools for healthy and quality sleep. The last thing you want to do is wake up in the morning feeling:

Pain from sleeping without a pillow : Sleeping without a pillow may be pleasant for some, but your neck is at the wrong angle after a long stay in one position can cause pain.
Hand numbness: If you wake up at night and experience hand numbness, it may be caused by using the wrong pillow for your posture, or by using a mattress that is too hard or too soft.
Neck pain: When using the wrong type of pillow, one of the most common results is neck pain. Every morning you wake up feeling stiff in your neck, and the simple solution might be that you are sleeping on the wrong type of pillow: too high, too low, too hard, or too soft. Try to find the best neck pain pillow on the market. Just make sure you try it out first.
Shoulder pain : The same can be said for shoulder pain, but instead of the wrong pillow, which can also be the cause, the mattress is more likely to be the culprit here. Waking up in the morning with shoulder pain after sleep, you can determine the type of mattress - too soft or too hard.
Hip Pain : We're going back to what type of mattress you use. Hip pain is also related to the type of mattress. There are professionals who can help you choose the right type of mattress for your body type and posture.
Lower back pain after sleep : The last side effect of sleeping on a bad mattress is lower back pain. This may be related to the type of mattress you sleep on, but it can also be caused by the way you sleep. Back pain can make it difficult for you to get out of bed. If you usually sleep on your side, try sleeping on your stomach or on your back. Certain positions can exacerbate these pains. So before you run out and spend too much money on a new mattress, try changing your sleeping position first and see if that helps. Or try meditation, yoga, or even Pilates to strengthen your lower back muscles along with your abdominal muscles, which can reduce back pain. Pain, no matter what, disrupts sleep. This affects REM sleep and you won't feel as rested as you normally would in the morning.

Sleep Hygiene FAQ

What are healthy sleep habits for children and teens?

Just like adults, children and teenagers need a daily routine before bed. Luckily for kids and teens, they don't have to create their own daily routine. As a parent, you must take on this job.

To begin, set a bedtime for each of your children. Younger children need more sleep and should go to bed earlier than teenagers. It is wise to adhere to the rule that devices such as smartphones, TVs and tablets should not be in the bedroom at night. Also remind children that their beds should only be used for sleeping, not for studying, reading, or working on the computer.

How to cope with lack of sleep with a newborn?

It is almost certain that as a parent you will lose sleep while there is a newborn in the house. The good news is that this phase doesn't last forever. To better cope with insomnia, try the following tips:

- Trade off nightly diaper changes and feedings (when possible)

- Take a nap whenever possible

- Make up for lost sleep whenever possible

- Ask friends and family for help

New parents (especially breastfeeding mothers) may find the first few months (or even years) of their children's lives difficult. While this is to be expected, it is also important to take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, eating healthy, exercising, and making time for your own hobbies and interests. The other sleep tips above, including practices like yoga nidra, meditation, and mindfulness, can be a huge help.

Resources Anaachana for sleep

Information materials for sleep

Sleep hygiene

Management for sleep

9000 can't sleep

How long can you stay awake

Links

https://jamanetwork.

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