5 Sleep Hygiene Rules to Help You Get a Better Rest
Getting a good night’s sleep is just as important as regular exercise and eating healthy. If you have a bedtime ritual or nightly routine, these kinds of behaviors are known as sleep hygiene. For those who have difficulty drifting off, it could be because you aren’t following the correct sleep hygiene practices. To ensure you wake up feeling well-rested and full of energy, here are 5 sleep hygiene rules that may help.
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Know-How Much Sleep You Need
If you are planning to change your habits to make sure you get plenty of sleep, it’s helpful to begin by knowing exactly what ‘enough’ is. Throughout your life, your sleep needs will change, but as a general rule of thumb, adults who are in good health typically need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night, whereas children, infants, and adolescents will need more depending on their age.
Go to Bed at the Same Time Each Night
Once you’ve figured out how much sleep you need per night, your next step should be to set and follow a regular sleep schedule. The last thing you should do is procrastinate before bedtime, as you may find it harder to get to sleep. To get you in a good routine, setting an alarm for the morning and waking up at the same time each day can make all the difference. While it’s tempting to sleep longer on the weekends, you may find it difficult to wake up feeling refreshed on Monday.
Create a Comfortable Bedroom Environment
Your bedroom should be the one place on earth where you feel the most comfortable and relaxed. If you feel tense and anxious in your bedroom, this can have a negative impact on how much sleep you get. To help you feel calm, it’s important that your bedroom is as quiet as it can be. There are some people who find absolute silence uncomfortable, so you may want to consider using white noise. The quality of your mattress can also play a part in sleep quality, so it may be time to invest in a new one. You can find one here which will provide numerous benefits, but most importantly contribute towards getting a good night’s sleep.
Limit Screen Time
While there are some individuals who have televisions in their bedrooms, more and more people are taking their smartphones and tablets to the one place where they should relax and unwind. If you’re the type to scroll through social media in bed, you may find it hard to switch off. The light from these screens tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime again, so if you’re struggling with getting enough sleep, limiting your screen time should be your next port of call. Keeping your electronic devices out of sight and out of mind will give you the opportunity to relax and unwind without thinking of checking your notifications.
Follow a Bedtime Routine
Following the same set of activities before heading to bed will psychologically train your brain into recognizing that it’s time to hit the hay. Over anything else, your bedtime routine needs to be relaxing and unwinding, so whether it’s by taking a warm bath, practicing deep breathing techniques, or trying meditation, there are various things that you can do to help wind down and get you ready for sleep.
Getting good quality sleep is critical to maintaining balanced emotional, mental, and physical health. Sleep also helps you stay focused throughout the day, regulates your mood, and makes you feel more proactive and productive. If you are finding it challenging to get plenty of rest, taking the suggestions above into account may be all it takes to improve your sleep quality.
